5 Things To Remember In Reaching Messy People

We just started a new series entitled Love Your City, Change The World.  I believe the best way to love and reach our city is to understand the church and to love the church. God has always worked through his people. Jesus always worked through His followers. Jesus started the church, loves the church, and works through the church.

When functioning properly, the church is the tool God designed to reach the world and change the world through the power of the gospel.

In Matthew 16, Jesus went to Caesarea Philippi which was full of messy people far from God. When Jesus went there it took him a week to get there from where he started. It was an uphill walk. Any time Jesus goes to a particular geographical location we should take note. The nick name of this city was the gates of hell.

I love the fact that Jesus went there. Jesus does not run from messy people, rather he runs to them. We have told our culture when you become like us you can be a part of us.

5 Things To Remember In Reaching Messy People

#1 Messy People Need God

Maybe that is you now or maybe you can remember when you first realized you needed God. I praise God we have created an environment for messy people.  In fact I am a messy people.

Jesus got a conversation started about himself in an environment for messy people and we should do the same.

#2 God Loves Messy People

Jesus said He came to earth for those far from God. Luke 19:10  For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” He loves everyone including you.

 #3 Messy People Are Reachable

When we reach those people no other church wants and they get saved, they are the ones every other church would die to have. God's grace is for everyone and anyone who calls on the name of Jesus can be saved.

#4 Don't forget what it was like to be lost

Don't forget what it was like to be saved, healed, your marriage restored, your children come home, or your emotions healed. We must never forget what God has done for us and remember He wants to do that for others. One reason some church people don’t love messy people, is that they are not at a point in their relationship with Jesus that they know how messy they really are themselves.

#5 God Uses The Church To Reach Them

Jesus told Peter that he, Jesus, would build his church. From that time in Caesarea Philippi till we see Peter in the upper room ,Peter began to grasp the mission of Jesus. We are His hands and feet. We must never get so inwardly focused that we forget the mission He has given us.  Through the church Jesus provides hope for the world. Through the church, Jesus expresses His heart for the world. Through the church, Jesus provides healing for the world.

 

 

 

Momentum

How many want and need to get their spiritual momentum back? If you have lost your momentum you have picked a good day to read a blog. Several series ago I talked about recovering or rediscovering your spiritual momentum. You build momentum by successive consecutive victories. Remember, however, it is God who brings the momentum.
For example: Every time you come to church it is another win in building victory. Every time you come it is a success towards momentum. Every time you become consistent in reading your bible and in prayer it is another victory. Every time you allow God to renew your spirit it is another win and step in momentum. 
Maybe you need a fresh start. Maybe you have lost your drive, hope, momentum and vision. Sometimes our momentum gets hampered or slowed by things that happen to us or around us. You are not going to get back your momentum by asking God why but by asking God what. Satan wants to hamper and dampen our momentum but God wants to move mightily in our lives. Maybe it needs to happen in your spiritual disciplines. Sometimes the momentum continues as a whole but for individuals it can wane. It can also happen in the church and in the home. You cannot create today’s momentum with yesterday’s memories.

Our church has been an ongoing momentum. We began with 18 people and God has done an incredible work. It is a movement of God and it continues.  I don’t know exactly why God has chosen to bless this church with momentum but I am thankful. It is amazing that our church just this calendar year has been on mission with God to eight different countries. Not to mention the lives daily that we are seeing changed in our area. We are weekly seeing lives changed through our Celebrate Recovery ministry as well as through many other ministries in our church. God is good and He brings momentum through our obedience.
It is interesting how people get so excited when their sports team does well. I do as well. What if we got that excited when we see a life change, a person saved, a marriage restored, a person getting baptized or a deeper level of commitment? One good thing is momentum is not a series of fortunate events. It happens when you are in a situation where you say God I need you now. It is then that He moves and we experience another victory.

 

 

 

 

Let's Do It

We make a mess of things when we take our eyes off of God. We are the most fulfilled in life when we walk with God. We are here to glorify God and we are here to reach the world for Jesus. When we take our eyes of his purposes we become a nasty mess.

If we can get right it can change every part of your life. Your job, finance, marriage and the way we do church.

Note: Life and church finally begin to make sense and have significant meaning when I finally begin to understand that it is not about me. Sometimes we have a hard time understanding or grasping that it is not about me. How significantly would your marriage improve if you said: “It is not about me” and you spent the rest of your life trying to out serve your spouse.

Luke 14:12-24

¹² Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. ¹³ But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, ¹⁴ and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”¹⁵ When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.” ¹⁶ Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. ¹⁷ At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ ¹⁸ “But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’ ¹⁹ “Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’ ²⁰ “Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’ ²¹ “The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’ ²² “‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’ ²³ “Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full. ²⁴ I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’”

 

What if we took that attitude in the church?  I want us to be obsessed with these two things: who Jesus is and what Jesus wants. Its not about me! In order for us to get to that point, there are four things we need to do.

(1) We’ve Got to Think Like Jesus

Here is what I have discovered. There are people who go to church but they don’t think like Jesus. The more I walk like him the more I think like him.  We have got to think like Jesus and the more we walk with him the more we will think like him.

Jesus was invited to a party. Some have a problem thinking that Jesus went to a party.  In john 1 his first miracle was making 180 gallons of wine.  He was called a friend of sinners and you don’t get called that by going to homeowners meetings.

This party was put on by religious leaders. They were not too smart. The reason they invited him was to trick and trap him.  How do you trick Jesus?  They brought a sick guy, they put him near Jesus and said we know he will have compassion and heal him.  The problem was it was on the Sabbath day.  It was not that they did not think a miracle could take place but had to be done in their system.

So Jesus goes and sees him and heals him. He was constantly ticking the religious people off. So Jesus does not play it safe and ticks them off. In this day if you had a physical condition they believed it was because of a spiritual condition. People who were religious did not like to associate with these people.  Jesus says you need to get some people in here that are not like you….there are churches that don’t want different color people, people with tattoos, etc.

The church is not called to legislate behavior modification but to preach the cross of Jesus.  He brings the change. We are here for people who are not like us.  If you want a church where everybody looks like you, talks like you etc…. not here. We are after people who do not know Christ and then we want to disciple them so they can know him better.

Religious people are not too smart …. They did not get it.  The same today. We view ourselves as the good guys and those outside the church the bad guys. That’s messed up.  We were dead now we are alive. They are the dead guys that need to become the alive guys.

Its not about me.  There are things that happen here sometimes that might make you feel uncomfortable. “well I don’t like how that happened.”    “That rock music…” That is like saying to a fireman who just ran into a burning house to save someone, I don’t like how you did that…. You should have worn a hat. Seriously?

We are about who Jesus is and what Jesus wants. He wants us to reach the poor, cripple, blind….

(2) We've Got to Rejoice Like Jesus

We go to the game and yell and scream…. All this is temporary…we do it over college ball etc. The church has let the world out celebrate them. Church should be a celebration.

Luke 14:16   They had a great party and invited many guest. Church is not supposed to be boring lifeless and predictable. It is supposed to be a place we come and celebrate two things, what Jesus is and what Jesus wants.

Don’t tell me you can’t celebrate.  “I’m not into celebration….well I think it should be reverent… you are in rigor mortis. Don’t tell me you are not into celebration… every time your team scores you shout and raise your hands. When I think about the one who loved me and saved me, rescued me and changed me…I cant help but celebrate. Do you realize Jesus shut down ever funeral he went to in the bible.  He never preached a funeral. Ever funeral he went to he would just say  "Get up."  I have never tried that…”I got this…get up.” I want to say this in a delicate way but every year in America 3000 churches shut their doors…. It may be that he is shutting down funerals because they no longer know how to preach the gospel, love Jesus and celebrate.

“Well I don’t like loud music…”  Do you know how loud the music is going to be up there? Lightning flashes etc. In book of Revelation it describes heaven… thunder  and lightning.

(3) We Have Got To Understand Like Jesus

We have to come to an understanding of our roll.  Husbands have to do this…Sometimes what we get wrong in the church is an understanding of what we are supposed to be doing.  Luke 14:17 If you are in Christ we are a servant.  I want to thank every person who serves here. Get involved somewhere. Some say I am busy…. Everybody is busy. What is a servant supposed to do?  Whatever his master tells him. The servant goes and tells people the banquet is ready. That is our job,,, to tell people far from God….it is frustrating at times.  They are hard to reach at times. Vs 18-20 everybody had an excuse.

Three excuses why people don’t come to church and some in church not following for the same three reasons.

1. Money- if you make 30K in America your are in the top 5 percent of wage earners in the world. 2. Work and recreation-the whole ox thing…. Men, be a man and bring your family to church on time. 3.  Relationships- some will not get involved in church and following Christ because of a relationship you are in.

You can’t get in my business…. Jesus said if you love me obey my commands. Isn’t it frustrating when you invite and they still don’t come.

(4) Pursue Like Jesus

We pursue our spouse. Vs 21 The owner became angry because he had paid a high price for the party. Our father sent his son. Just establish a small church that feels good but does not reach anybody…. No it it does not say that…. Go out quickly and bring in the poor crippled and blind. Go get the people who are not like you.  Do you realize the reason you work where you work is to reach people for Jesus? Go out quickly.
The reason your kids are on that team is to reach people, parents etc. God strategically place you kid there so you could reach them.  Jesus said we have to do that quickly and there must be urgency. Are you all about the numbers? Yes because people need Jesus. "But the church can get too big"   You do not feel that way about your IRA. Jesus values people.

We have a God that majors in crazy.  Vs 22  we have done what you said but there is still room. There is still room at both campuses.  If we fill this one up we will do something else…. But there is traffic problems and parking issues…. Praise God.

There is still room!!! We need to outgrow our facilities. Vs. 23-24  go out to the roads and bring them in….make them come in!!!!

We have the salvation , the outpouring of the Holy Spirit … make room. We are called to get past our comfort zones and bring people to Jesus. Everyone of you knows someone that is far from God. We’ve got to be willing to do whatever it takes to bring people to Jesus.

Our First Eight Years

In just 8 short years in the life of our church we have been on mission with God to nine countries and have gone to five of the seven continents in the world. (The only two we have not been to is Antarctica and South America.)

In our church, city and region we have seen 734 people saved, baptized 446. We have sent 232 kids and 262 students  to camp.

We have fed the city of Saltillo workers numerous times, fed Bauhaus workers numerous times, and implemented the “Feed the City” Campaign.

Our Compass Center provides a resource for books, apparel and supplies. The Compass Center profits go to children’s ministry and have provided numerous scholarships for children to go to camp. Our café provides a place to meet and fellowship as well as treats, snacks and beverages for our convenience.

Our children have made salvation bracelets to send overseas and support a boy in Thailand through Compassion International. Our children’s ministry raised money for Philippine typhoon relief. 

We have provided school supplies for children, provided backpacks for kids, shoes for children, 1000’s of operation Christmas child boxes. We work a Gum Tree water station and have participated in World Changers. We have been involved with Parkgate, Helping Hands, and Salvation Army. We have helped the homeless, done projects for single moms, the elderly, and the handicap. We have been involved with St. Jude, Lebonheur, nursing home ministry, and Sanctuary Hospice.

We made shoes for Sole Hope and have on several occasion gone door to door with the good news of Jesus. Our students have been on numerous mission trips. Our NS Riders have had motorcycle rides for missions, rides for children and rides to help the misfortunate.

We have a thriving Celebrate Recovery ministry which ministers to those of us with hurts, habits and hang-ups. Our CR ministry has expanded to children and students. In addition, our CR ministry began a CRI, a ministry that goes into the jails weekly.

We have planted on thriving church in Alabama and been a part of planting churches in several other countries. We expanded by adding our first multi site location in Tupelo which is growing and thriving.  We have seen wm’s, men’s and college ministry begin.

In addition to this list, we are constantly encouraging people to grow deeper by being a part of a small group and getting involved in ministry and evangelism. We provide quality ministry to children and students as well as providing weekend and midweek teaching ministry for adults, students and children. We provide age appropriate worship experiences each weekend that enable us to approach God corporately with our worship.

Praise be to God for what He has done, is doing and is going to do at NSC.