How many of you have run into THOSE people!
That’s NOT the kind of trick or treat you look forward to. That’s real life scary☺
WELCOME CAMPUSES as we talk about how Jesus radically changes lives! Everyone has a story…I’m going to share a few with you today!
The bible says that Jesus died on the cross for our sins so that whoever believes in Him, will be saved. The point at which someone accepts Christ is always a miracle to me. It never gets old. For someone to realize their life has gone from death to life right before your very eyes…is the greatest feeling you can have as a Christian!
Truth is, a lot of people don’t know who Jesus is. A lot of people just don’t think about it. A lot of people just don’t care. A lot of people think you just cease to exist when you die. A lot of people think you get to heaven by being a good person.
A LOT OF PEOPLE JUST DON’T KNOW WHO JESUS IS
What people outside the church know about Jesus…largely depends on YOU! The church has its role, but the initial contact with who Jesus is comes from how you interact with them, how you talk to them, how you forgive them, how you show then unconditional love.
Think of someone in your life that has no idea who Jesus is. Someone who just can’t bring themselves to believe that there’s a God that would save them.
Friends…the person standing between that person and God…is you.
Matt 28:19-20 READ
NOT SUGGESTIONS. COMMANDMENTS
CC Mission Statement: To help spiritually restless and unchurched people love Jesus, serve others and tell the world about Christ.
That is what drives us. What is CC’s secret? Music? Teaching? (not this week) Kids ministries? Video, lights? Lee’s sometimes good/sometimes bad choice of shirts? Is it our cool building?
NO! It’s that we filter EVERYTHING we do through our mission statement. Because it’s a commandment.
It’s sticking to a core value and not wavering. It’s about not listening to every single piece of criticism, not getting derailed from our mission statement. Not adding things outside of our core values that make us lose our focus.
A recent poll – 84% of people polled said the church is exists to take care of MY needs! 11% said the mission of the church is to introduce people to Jesus and help grow them up in Christ.
This is completely out of balance and will quickly produce an ineffective church body. It will produce ineffective Christians.
Show me a church that is not growing (not huge) and I’ll show you a church that has an unhealthy balance.
I’ve been doing this for 15 years. There is a cycle that needs to be happening. People need to be accepting Jesus…growing up in their relationship with Christ…and in turn, sharing Jesus Christ with people in their lives who don’t know Him.
Talking with Lee…over 4,000 saved…over 2,000 baptised.
Luke 15 opens up with the religious leaders of Jesus’ time having a problem with Him associating Himself with non-Christians…even sitting down to eat with them.
The Pharisees and religious leaders of that time felt they were better than the Gentiles…those who weren’t Jewish. They wanted the attention and the head seats at the dinner table and banquets. They found no JOY in seeing a sinner repent of their sins and turn to Jesus.
So Jesus decides to tell them a few stories.
Luke 15:4-7 Parable of the Lost Sheep (READ)
Jesus is looking for an attitude change here…in how we view those who don’t know Him as Lord and Savior.
Some of us wouldn’t care if one lost sheep went astray…we already have 99…what’s the big deal. The shepherd in this story stops at nothing to find that one sheep. Then rejoices when he finds it.
All of Heaven rejoices. Over ONE sheep?? Jesus takes it one step further and says Heaven rejoices more for the one that was found than it does for the 99 that are not lost!!
This just isn’t the way we think most of the time. Is it really wise to leave 99 unattended while you look for just one? What if you never find it, what if that lost sheep is already dead? What if you die trying to find it?
It just seems like bad economics to some of us.
Why would I waste a whole party just for one sheep?
I’m so busy. My time is limited. Isn’t it someone else’s job to find that sheep? Isn’t that what a pastor is paid to do? I don’t know what to say…I’m flawed…they might not believe me. They might even reject me and laugh at me.
Is the ONE lost person really that important against the backdrop of the 99 that know what’s going on?
That one that’s lost isn’t like me. He or she isn’t like the others that I hang around. Does it really matter?
If you’re going to be a shepherd you need to be
Proactive.
Aware. You need to be in tune with the Holy Spirit. You need to have the guidance and support of scripture. You can’t just be wandering aimlessly throughout your Christian life without direction, you’ll never be effective.
GEOCASHING without GPS.
You need to be WELCOMING.
Patient. If someone that doesn’t know Jesus is a -10 on a scale…you need to be OK with the fact that your purpose just might be to get them to a -8…one rung in the ladder. Maybe God has someone else lined up to get them all the way to Jesus. Who cares?
You need to be FORGIVING, not judgmental.
You can’t become overwhelmed by the task of introducing lost people to Jesus…don’t just say I don’t know where to begin.
People matter to Jesus. Does one lost person matter?
Jesus says clearly that they do matter. People like Melvin DO matter.
VIDEO
Luke 15:8-10 The Lost Coin (READ)
This woman didn’t have to go out of her comfort zone. She searches for the lost coin in her own house. She stops at nothing to find it.
That one coin was equal to one days wages for this woman. She stops at nothing to find it. When she finds it she calls everyone she knows to party with her! Again, all of Heaven rejoices.
When is the last time you lost something of significance and had to find it? You all know what this feels like. It’s not always fun looking for it.
ILL-Kasen waking me up last Sat Morning.
She found the lost coin in her own house…where she was comfortable.
Sometimes all it takes is an invitation to church. That’s what we’re here for.
Who are you inviting to the Big Push the next 4 weeks? Invite cards, email, Facebook, Phone call. Conversation at work….
Many people have accepted Jesus Christ into their life here at CedarCreek…but often YOU have played a huge role in getting them here.
You may just think ‘well, it’s just one person??’
Think again. You can’t believe how God works!
Are they worth it? Jesus says clearly they are.
INTERVIEW
Luke 15:11-32 Prodigal Son This story is different. We’re not dealing with a non-Christian, we’re dealing with a wayward Christian.
A man had 2 sons. He divided his estate between the 2. Soon the younger son left for another country and wasted his inheritance. He lived wildly. Partying, selfishly squandering away everything he had been given.
A famine ravaged the land where he lived. He couldn’t find food, had to work feeding pigs, longing just to eat what the pigs were eating. He was at rock bottom. He realizes the error of his ways…returns to his father to say please forgive me!!! I have sinned, I have gone astray
His father sees him coming from a long way off. The father runs to him, throws his arms around him…give him the best of clothes to put on, throws him a party to end all parties. He rejoices and says ‘My son was dead, but now he is alive, he was lost but now he’s found!’
The older brother is out in the field working his butt off. He’s been faithful. He hears the commotion and says ‘What’s going on??’
When he finds out the party is for his brother he becomes angry and won’t go into the party. The father finds out about this and talks to the older son. Of course the older son is angry…he says LOOK Padre…I’ve been the perfect son…I’ve done everything you’ve asked and more! I never got a party!!
The dad says, everything I have is yours. BUT WE MUST celebrate…your brother was lost and is now found. That’s what’s important. He was wayward…but I can make it good again.
This parable serves as a forceful response to the people of his day that just couldn’t find it in their hearts to forgive the wayward Christian.
There is hope for the wayward Christian. There was hope for me.
I had to wallow in the pigs trough. Very few people believed in me. Many people turned their backs on me. I knew better and I still couldn’t get it right.
Have you ever written off a wayward Christian? Would you welcome them back with open arms and throw them a party…treating them like they never left?
Maybe all they need is love, acceptance and forgiveness. Maybe they’re just waiting to see it from you?
There is still hope for them. God is still sovereign. God is waiting for you to reach out to them.
Do they matter? Are they a waste of time? Can anything good come of their situation? Is it worth it?
Jesus says clearly they are worth it.
VIDEO
God is amazing. Not many people from my past can believe what God is doing through me today. I can’t believe it. I don’t deserve it. I wasn’t born a Christian, I wasn’t born being a pastor. I was just a kid that wouldn’t listen to anyone. I didn’t care about church. I didn’t care about God. I didn’t care about telling the world about Jesus. I cared about me.
But God changed that. Parents…DON’T GIVE UPON YOUR KIDS. My parents didn’t.
No one is perfect. You can never see the potential you have to serve Christ when you’re blinded by your own selfishness.
One person does matter. You never know what God is up to. You have to stay faithful. You have to stay focused.
One single person matters.
What if no one took the time to share Christ with Lee, Hooty or Ed McCauley?
VIDEO
One life effects another. The butterfly effect.
ILL – up north, stone in smooth water…ripples…me yelling…echo.
