This was in response to asking Jesus the post-Easter question, “What’s next for our church?”…which got me reading in the gospels…which got me focused on what Jesus did in those forty days between His resurrection and His ascension…
Summarized so beautifully in Acts 1:8
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
and Mt. 28:19-20
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.
This is what God wants to do in and through our church in the days ahead…
A Culture of Outreach is: …an atmosphere and mindset where connecting with people becomes a way of life…both inside and outside the church…an outflow of the gospel life of Christ…
… a willingness to sincerely engage with another person…not just to preach the gospel at them, but to be kind, friendly, helpful, loving, interested…
…it’s natural, organic, not forced or phony…not programmed, not an event, but a way of life…an outflow of the resurrection life of Jesus within us…
…it’s a cultural shift from a consumer mentality to a kingdom, missional mentality…
…a shift is needed because the church in NA is primarily consumer minded vs. missions minded…
-it is an “others-focus” where we step out of our comfort zone of familiarity and get to know other people…
-and we do this because of a God-given, growing heart of love for people that comes from God’s heart of love for people…out of a life that has been impacted by the gospel…
When a church has a culture of outreach, it has an atmosphere pervaded by relationships…not that you’re best friends with everyone, but that you can relate to anyone with Christ-like love…
-a culture of outreach is also formed by a missionary mindset…that we see ourselves as people who are sent by Christ into this world to bless others, serve others, help others…tell others about the gospel of Jesus and His love…tell them our story about how Jesus has changed our lives…
-having a culture of outreach is not adding a whole bunch of new activities to your already busy life…it is living your life with a mindset that looks for the God-given opportunities to touch someone’s life…
Assignment
Now three weeks ago I gave you an assignment that you could not fail… to talk to someone right here in our own church, in this very service that you don’t know very well…say hi to someone…maybe have a brief conversation…
“Hi I’m…and what’s your name?” Have you been here for a long time or a short time?” And from what I heard and saw, it worked pretty well…many of you gave it a go…good job!
I have another assignment that is slightly more challenging…but all designed to help us take steps toward developing a culture of outreach starting right here in our own church…
-find someone in the other service that you don’t know very well and do the same thing…creative, intentional…use that in-between time…take a missions trip to that service…
* really need to see an older generation connecting with a younger generation…
Equipping Strategy
Back to Jesus’ equipping strategy for developing a culture of outreach…
Today we are looking at the first part of that strategy that I discovered in the gospels, and it is this:
1) Jesus transforms lives
-when you read the gospels you discover that Jesus had personal encounters with a few key individuals that transformed them forever – changed them…healed them, restored them, empowered them…then commissioned them…
After His resurrection, Jesus gave His personal attention to certain people who really needed Him…He met them at their point of need…
• Mary Magdalene – Jn. 20:11-18
• Thomas - Jn. 20:24-29
• Peter – Jn. 21:15-17
Prayer…
A. Mary’s Story – let’s read it in Jn 20:11-18…
Mary was heartbroken with grief over the loss of her beloved Savior and Lord…
-Luke 8 gives us the reasons why:
• had been delivered from seven demons v.2
• part of His travelling group v.1
• supported Jesus and team with her own means v.3
Jesus meant so much to her that she just couldn’t bear losing Him…that’s why He met with her personally after His death and resurrection…
Because Mary needed Jesus’ comforting love…
And so do some of you…you’re crying, weeping, grieving, hurting…like Mary you’re looking for Jesus in the midst of your pain…like Mary you’re asking “Where are you Lord?”
And if that’s you, Jesus wants to heal and transform your life from grief to joy, from sorrow to gladness…
And He does that by saying one word: your name… ”Mary”…by revealing Himself to you and speaking personally to you…
…and He invites you to hold on to Him, like Mary did…Jesus didn’t rebuke her for that, He let her hold on to Him…but eventually He said, “OK, that’s enough for now…there’s some other things we need to take care of…”
And He heals and transforms you by sending a caring person into your life who says, “How are you doing? I’m here for you. You’re loved.”
eg Griefshare…Donna’s Story…
Transformed and Sent
As Mary was experiencing Jesus’ healing love, you know what He did next? He said to her, in v.17 “Go instead to my brothers and tell them…”
He healed her and then sent her out on a mission…he sent her out with a message…He was developing a culture of outreach…
And when Jesus comforts you in your sorrow, He does it so you too can go out and bring others comfort in their sorrow…so you can be empowered to go and be His witness to the people He sends you to…
-that’s how Jesus develops a culture of outreach…
B. Thomas’ Story – let’s read it in Jn. 20:24-29…
Thomas had a problem with doubt, skepticism… Thomas needed proof, tangible evidence in order to believe something…he needed special assurance and confidence to place His faith in the resurrected Lord…one of these guys who needs the facts and things need to make sense before he commits…
And Jesus gave it to him…He met Thomas at his point of need and provided the very thing that would transform Thomas from a doubting, hesitant disciple…to a confident, bold follower of Jesus Christ…
He let Thomas see and touch the nail marks in His hands and the wound in His side…
And that’s what some of you need…you’re doubtful about all this following Jesus stuff…hesitant, not quick to jump on board with the challenge of living by faith…perhaps you’re fearful about what it means to be an all-in disciple…so you’re holding back until you can be sure Jesus is worth following completely…but when you’re in, you’re all in…
If that’s you, then Jesus wants to transform your life by a personal encounter with Him that will exchange your doubts and fears with confident faith…and that comes through a personal encounter with His death and resurrection…
-Jesus invites you to focus on the sufficiency of our crucified Savior…on those pierced hands and wounded side that speak of victory and conquest and power and authority…so that we can find faith…and we can stop doubting and believe…
-it’s focusing our faith on the crucified and risen Lord Jesus Christ and not needing only tangible evidence to convince us…it’s learning how to walk by faith and not by sight: faith in the risen Savior…
“Stop doubting and believe…in Me”, Jesus says…
Transformed and Sent
And then you know what Jesus did with doubting Thomas who was finding a renewed faith? He pointed him to all those who were yet to believe in Him…read v.29 “blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Jesus filled Thomas with faith and then sent him out on a mission…He was developing a culture of outreach…
And when Jesus gives you faith in exchange for your doubt, He does this so you too can become a faithful witness of Him to those who have yet to believe…
C. Peter’s Story – Jn 21:15-17
Peter needed so much restoration…just days earlier he had blatantly denied knowing the Lord during Jesus’ trial before the High Priest…Peter was defeated, feeling like a complete failure, like a huge disappointment to Jesus…
…He was walking away from following Jesus and returning to fishing…and even that wasn’t working out…he fished all night and caught nothing…fruitless effort…
-and then in response to a Stranger on shore who told him to cast his nets on the other side of the boat…he did so and…wow…a catch of fish so large that they couldn’t haul in the net…
And then he swims to shore and the personal transformation takes place…Jesus invites them to come and have breakfast…a profound offer of friendship… and then this conversation takes place between Jesus and Peter in which, somehow, Peter is forgiven, restored and re-commissioned…let’s read it in vv.15-17…
Jesus met Peter at his point of need…he needed to know Jesus still loved him, forgave him and could still use him in the work of the kingdom…
And that’s what some of you need as well…because of what’s happened…you’re wondering if God can still use you and wants to use you in serving Him…you need a fresh sense of His forgiveness and His confidence in you and a fresh call to serve Him…
If that’s you, then Jesus wants to give you that today…He is speaking these words to you, directly, personally…
“Do you love Me? (Yes I love You…) I know you do and I love you too…and that’s why I want you to work with Me…”
”feed my lambs…take care of my sheep…feed my sheep…”
Receive that from the Lord right now…
Transformed and Sent
Receive God’s love and forgiveness and fresh call to serve Him…He wants you and can use you and is ready to work with you…you’re still on His team…He is for you and not against you…
He is sending you on a mission…”feed my lambs…take care of my sheep…feed my sheep…”
…look after them, help them, serve them…reach the lost and needy…”Love Them For Me Laura” – Laura Reddig
No matter how badly you have messed up, He is re-commissioning you with the original call…like He gave to Peter at the start in Mt. 4:19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”
Conclusion
Jesus is developing a culture of outreach…and He is starting by personally transforming our lives…so we can be sent out from a position of strength and empowerment…
Some of you need personal healing ministry today…come for prayer as we close our service…
-and don’t forget your new outreach assignment…