"How To Get The Salt Out Of The Shaker."

Cornerstone Church April 18/19, 2009

“HOW TO GET THE SALT OUT OF THE SHAKER.”

Luke 14:15-24

The following happened to Dr. Tony Campolo:

“He had flown into Honolulu and was unable to sleep, so he ventured into an all night diner, where he overheard a group of prostitutes talking. One mentioned to her friends that the next day was her thirty-ninth birthday. Another replied scornfully, ‘What do you want? A Birthday party?’ She retreated into her defensive shell: ‘I’ve never had one in my whole life. Why should I expect one now?’ It struck Campolo that it would be a good idea to conspire with the owner of the diner to throw her a surprise party the next night. A cake was baked, and all was prepared. The cries of ‘Happy Birthday!’ from her small group of friends and this stranger left her stunned. She was shocked that anyone would go to this much trouble just for her. She asked if she could take the cake home and then left with her prize. When she left, Campolo offered to pray and prayed for her salvation, for her life to change, and for God to be good to her.

The prayer startled the owner, who asked antagonistically, ‘You never told me you were a preacher. What kind of church do you belong to?’ He responded that he belonged to a church that threw birthday parties for prostitutes at 3:30 in the morning.”

The answer may meet with skepticism from outsiders: There is no church like that. It may meet with disdain from insiders: We would never do anything like that. But it parallels the kind of thing that Jesus did in reaching out to those who were lost and despised.

Life Application Commentary, pg. 120 paraphrasing Tony Campolo’s THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS A PARTY.

God the Father’s Heart can be seen in the verses

I read and in the story I told.

The Resurrection – Now What?

Jesus accomplished eternal salvation for the lost by:

His death, Burial, Resurrection and Ascension

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.”

Acts 1:8 NIV

A beachhead was established in our world and it was now time for the ground war to begin!

Jesus as He was ascending gave His orders to His disciples and to each of us to reach the world for Christ!

The Mission and Commission Jesus gave the church.

The Mission – “Be my witnesses”

The Mission’s Expanse – Go Global!

The Mission’s Power – The Holy Spirit

It was ten days after Jesus’ ascension that the Holy Spirit descended and filled the believers.

The Holy Spirit appeared like tongues of fire.

The Holy Spirit ignited the hearts of the believers.

The Holy Spirit used Peter to proclaim God’s Word

3,000 were added to the church that day!

The Church was growing! Soon, however, the Christians were staying in Jerusalem and not spreading the gospel to Judea and Samaria and God allowed persecution to break out.

This caused the Christians to scatter!

Like sparks blown by the wind the fire spread to Judea and Samaria!

The Gospel then moved to the Gentiles! The Church of Antioch was established!

At the height of the outreach going on in Antioch Paul and Barnabas are sent on the first of three Missionary Journeys.

Paul and those on the trips with him battle from Island to Island and from City to City with the gospel.

Eventually Paul takes the gospel to Rome.

He also had his eye on taking the gospel to Spain!

The gospel spread all over Europe and spread eastward! Eventually it spread to America.

Christians in America have had times of great fervency and lethargy!

After the world wars and “Living in the Shadow of the Second Coming” believing Jesus could come at any moment: Rescue Missions, Missionary Agencies, Home Missions were all founded to take the gospel to the cities in America and globally.

Hell was viewed as real! A place of eternal torment!

Today the call to “Rescue the Perishing” seems more like an afterthought for most.

Born Again Christians in America today have grown comfortable and complacent.

Christians are too busy and too preoccupied to reach out.

American Christians like to keep some Missionaries on the books so we do not appear to be like those liberal churches.

Is this how it all should end?

Greg Laurie said:

“The Great Commission

has become the Great Concession.”

A candidate concedes the race when he knows that his opponent has won!

Are we conceding that Satan has won or that he is more powerful when we cease to take the Great Commission seriously?

While we might not believe that theologically our lifestyles and our apathy towards the lost reveal otherwise.