The Real Jesus: Passive or Visionary, 1/4/15

Sermon 1-4-15 the real Jesus- passive or visionary – mt 28:16-20

The Great Commission  Mt 28:16-20

¹⁶ Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. ¹⁷ When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. ¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ 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, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

New series - The real Jesus, passive or visionary

Most Christians like the Jesus who sits in church with them on Sunday

And lets them live the rest of the week as they see fit

A passive Jesus that has been conformed to our image of him

But Jesus is not passive and he does not conform to our wishes

He is a great visionary - he has a great plan

And he invites us to help him fulfill his plan

The most exciting part of being a Christian is being his hands and feet

This is not a comforting sermon

This is a charge, a declaration.  Marching orders for the year.

It should have a feel that “God calls us from our natural state to fulfill our potential”

The great commission

Jesus says “go”

Go. Make disciples.  Followers.  Teach them. 

Teach them to go and do and live.

We used to think of this as to go and tell

But especially with technology,

there are almost no unreached people groups.

Almost everyone has heard the story.

Most know the story of Jesus

The way the church told it – caustic and full of pain

But they do no know the story of Jesus love

          All the books with titles like – I love Jesus but not the church

Atheists that I meet.  Aren’t against god or Jesus

They are against the church.  God as sold by the church

Methodists often start the year with - Wesley covenant service

Wesley says that the first service was held on Monday 11 August 1755, at the French church at Spitalfields in London, with 1800 people present.

He has been at this revival thing for 17 years…..He is 52 the first time

Wesley found the service rich and meaningful, as expressed in his Journal: "Many mourned before God, and many were comforted" (April 1756); "It was, as usual, a time of remarkable blessing" (October 1765); "It was an occasion for a variety of spiritual experiences ... I do not know that ever we had a greater blessing. Afterwards many desired to return thanks, either for a sense of pardon, for full salvation, or for a fresh manifestation of His graces, healing all their backslidings" (January 1, 1775). 

In London these services were usually held on New Year's Day. Around the country the Covenant Service was conducted
whenever John Wesley visited the Methodist Societies.

To consider a covenant with God is to agree that we are
Not simply going to continue to do what we have been doing
Changing
Pursuing faithfulness and our full potential

Covenant principles – vs what a friend we have in Jesus
Greater and lesser power
What each will do
too many Christians do nothing –

parable of the talents he hid the money

He sees potential in the disciples well beyond what they see in themselves

Jesus is a visionary

They had excuses…… im just a fisherman.  I was a prostitute…..

He doesn’t care about excuses

He doesn’t see their past

He only sees their potential

He challenges them to follow the spirit and fultill their potential for the kingdom

What did he see in them

What did they do?

          Some left.  rich young ruler; John 6:66

Others stepped up to the plate and got their licks in for Jesus

Jesus also challenges us to do the same

We have excuses

I am afraid.  I don’t have confidence.  I don’t feel spiritual

I am selfish.  I am busy.

I was in jail.  I am divorced.  I was on drugs

He doesn’t care about excuses

He doesn’t see the past

He only sees our potential

He challenges us to follow the spirit and fulfill our potential for the kingdom

If we really listened and followed, what do you think we might do in 2015

Its not about what Jeff thinks

What is the spirit calling you to do?

               

Look at the great things that are...
How did they get there? How did they become?
A great country - The Lincoln memorial

The Washington monument                                                          PICTURE

A great church
Someone had a dream. Someone would not let obstacles hold them back

Why did you come here?

To learn about God?  To grow closer to him

Did you come hear to heal?

Did you come here to be served?

Did you come here to be a part of a kingdom that is reaching the world, one person at a time

There is a flavor at this place of us being the hands and feet of Christ

Signs above our doors – go forth to serve

Now entering the mission field -                                          PICTURE

There is a difference between being a good church and being a great church.

Anyone can be a church……
We have a building, we have ss, we have worship, we are a church. True

Extraordinary churches
a. the people believe what they are talking about
they believe in Gods ability to lead them and act thru them

They own it – the mission

What is our mission?

Connecting people to Jesus Christ

[they believe what  they are talking about] [it infiltrates them]
b. they exhibit extraordinary graces

²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness and self-control. Gal. 5:22-23a

c. they act on their faith and make the impossible, possible
it doesn’t matter what you believe if you don’t act on it

great churches then

1.   Believe what they are talking about

2.   Exhibit extraordinary graces

3.   Act on their faith to live out God’s mission

How big is your God? How big are your dreams?

²⁰ Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us Eph 3:20

What is on line for our church in 2015

more programs……
More choirs, more classes, more recreational programs, more missions -maybe

Need to work together…..appreciate every program

end territoriality

every mission is as important as the one I am involved in
Invest in the ministry of others
Friends of upward, be also a friend of music? Friend of music, be a friend of upward. Friend of we care, be also a friend of Sunday school

I invite every small group, every class, every ministry, every team, every reunion group, to see your place in the rainbow of colors in the ministries of this church.

I don’t know what is on tap for our church in 2015.  It is not up to me

It is up to you.  It is not my church, it is your church

I am not interested in a bigger church, but I do want to win every person that we can

I am very interested in us fulfilling our potential.

More programs and more people mean change and discomfort

what does this mean? It means that our comfort has to come behind how I may feel about the changes that take place

Spiritually developed people are those who have learned to set aside their personal preference and comfort for the sake of the mission.

Erwin McManus quote: you don't get to choose your parents, your race, or your skin color. You don't get to choose your language or economic conditions when you're born into this world. You don't get any say about the beginning of your life journey, but you have a great deal to say about the destination of your journey and how that journey shapes you

people of WCC - Where are your dreams – what will God call you to?

Genesis 12 - God called Abraham to leave his homeland
To leave his comfort zone...

Jesus tells his disciples to go
That is what God does...

Maybe the most important ministry in the history of this church is today, right in your heart, just waiting to be called forth by God.
What are you doing with those ideas?"

Maybe god is calling you to start a new mission

Maybe we can build another 25 houses in Nicaragua

Maybe there is a neighbor that needs a church home

Maybe God’s hand is on you and you are being called to ministry for him

What do you see in our potential for 2015?  What do you see in your potential?

As we start the year together  may we renew this covenant with God and seek to pursue Gods potential for our lives and for our church

Communion

Wesleyan covenant prayer
:I am no longer my own, but thine.:Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt.:Put me to doing, put me to suffering.:Let me be employed by thee or laid aside for thee,:exalted for thee or brought low for thee.:Let me be full, let me be empty.:Let me have all things, let me have nothing.:I freely and heartily yield all things to thy pleasure and disposal.:And now, O glorious and blessed God,::thou art mine, and I am thine.:So be it.:And the covenant which I have made on earth,:let it be ratified in heaven.:Amen