[S] This summer the Fink’s took one of the most memorable vacations we’ve ever had. We only had two predetermined places to be. The first was to go to Alcove NY to try and locate the home my wife Luckie grew up in. And the second was my sister’s home in Buffalo. Other than that we could go where we wanted when we wanted. So each day we’d determine where we wanted to go and drive in that direction. After spending a couple of nights in Gettysburg, PA we decided to travel north a couple of hours to Lancaster, PA, Amish country.
Our plans were to skip breakfast and drive into Lancaster and eat some homemade Amish food at an Amish restaurant and then spend the afternoon shopping at all the Amish stores for handmade gifts.
We were all pretty excited and couldn’t wait. As we closed in on Lancaster we began looking for tell tale signs that we were in Amish country, the black buggies pulled by a single horse. We were surprised when we drove into Lancaster without seeing a single horse and carriage. As we entered town we started looking for signs advertising Amish food and wares. We were very hungry. We crisscrossed the town craning our necks to look in the windows as we drive by. It was strange. Finally somebody asked the obvious question, “Where’s the Amish people?” It was like they had never been there. Finally we spotted a unhitched black buggy in front of a building just outside of town. It was the tourist information center. So we pulled in and told one of the attendants that we were from out of town and were looking for an Amish restaurant and some stores in the area. The man smiled, and leaning back in his chair he turned his head to a co-worker and said, “Here’s another one that thinks there’s Amish in Lancaster.”
“What?” I said. The attendant told us that there an Amish store in Lancaster. All the Amish lived outside of town on their farms where they also sold their crafts. This story illustrates that importance of knowing where you are going if you want to get there.
I have a question for you. “Where’s our Amish country?” “Where are we going as a church?” “Where do we hope to be a couple of years from now?”
After visiting with many of you around the coffee table, the kitchen table and the conference table I have learned that we don’t know the answer to those questions and we don’t like that. We find it frustrating. But I have also learned that we want to know and go somewhere if we only knew where that was. In many of those table side chats the tables were turned on me and I was often asked, “Where do you see us going?” “What’s your vision for our church?”
I’ve been trying to hold off on answering this as long as I could so I wouldn’t rush into anything. But at the same time I’m aware that there’s a sense of urgency with knowing where we’re going. We don’t want to wait any longer than we have to. And so today, I’m going to share with you what has been stirring within me regarding this very issue.
I believe our destination is going to be linked to three key passages of scripture. I believe these passages will form the nucleus of our purpose and set the direction of our intention. The first is [S] Mark 12.28-31 reads, “One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” (TNIV)
The second key passage is Matthew 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. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28.19-20, TNIV)
And the third is John 15.8 where Jesus is quoted as saying, “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” (TNIV). [S]
The word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God.
When I look at these passages as a whole our destination becomes clear. I believe Jesus wants us to make thousands of devoted disciples who are passionate for God and compassionate for their neighbor. No matter how many times I have asked God to give me a glimpse of his preferred future for Asbury four simple words bounce off the walls of my soul with increasing intensity. [S] And they are – Love God, Love Neighbor.
I believe God is calling us to focus on these commandments over the next couple of years. I think God wants to see how far we can take loving God and loving our neighbors. I think God wants Asbury to become known in our community as The Church that loves God and their neighbors. What might that look like? Let me give you a glimpse of what I see when it comes to Asbury taking God’s charge seriously.
I see a church filled with people who are passionate about worshiping God and a church that loves people so much that it’s willing to provide people with multiple opportunities to express their love for God through different worship venues. And not just one or two services, but three or four or more! And I see the people from one service making sure those who attend another have everything they need to worship their Lord.
When I close my eyes I hear a 100 voice adult choir singing Handel’s Messiah complete with an orchestra leading hundreds of worshippers in a life changing experience. Of course, we don’t have the space for that now, but maybe we’ll have to create it. When I close my eyes I see the beaming faces of an enthusiastic hand bell ensemble made up entirely of youth. When I close my eyes and think about a worshiping community of Asbury I hear the voices of a burgeoning children’s choir and see the smiles of grandmas and grandpas who know that their investments in the life of Asbury have helped create life change in the grand child who is singing before them.
When I close my eyes I see hope in the eyes of a young teenager watching a drama performed during a contemporary service dealing with family strife. I see hundreds of people gathering to praise God in a contemporary worship facility where the aesthetics are more than athletic. I see a single dad coming to the altar with his two children asking God to help him provide for them because it’s been tough since mom left.
I see a church where 75% of those in worship are involved in a group that will help them grow in their love of God and neighbor. I envision driving down a neighborhood street on any evening of the week passing by the home of someone associated with Asbury and seeing 6-10 vehicles parked outside because 15 people are inside discussing the pastor’s sermon and accompanying study questions and the implication for their life.
I see a church that is known throughout the community as the church that loves their neighbors.
Imagine a nervous couple who is struggling financially and as a result their marriage is frayed. They heard through their grapevine that Asbury was offering a class called Financial Peace University for everyone in the community. I see them entering the building for the first time unsure where to go. You can see their uncertainty. Maybe they’re even thinking of walking back out when one of you sensed they were first time guests and introduced yourself to them saying “Hi, I’m Chris and you are? I’m so glad you’re here today. Can I help you find your way around? You take them to the seminar; introduce them to the teacher and a couple of others who are there for the same reason. Years later this couple becomes the leaders of a new small group for couples like them and credits the person who greeted them at the door and the church reached out to them with changing their life.
I see a whole church coming together after worship one Sunday afternoon heading out into the community to bless them in some tangible way. Imagine the immediate and felt impact of several hundred Methodists going out into our community to mow yards, paint homes, and provides free child care so parents can enjoy an afternoon. I see a Sunday school class running errands and cleaning the home for a blind woman. I see another group visiting patients in the nursing home who haven’t had a family member visit them in months or years and/or who provide manicures and pedicures to those able to receive them. And then I see everyone coming back together about four or five hours later for a fellowship dinner where people take turns sharing and rejoicing how they showed the love of God to our neighbors.
I don’t think this is just pie in the sky. I believe this is all possible, especially if we harness the power of the eighth wonder of the world.
For centuries humanity has compiled a list of the spectacular man made or God made creations of the world often referred to as The Seven Great Wonders of the World. Places like the Great Pyramid, the Great Wall of China, Taj Mahal, The Light House of Alexandria, The Collosos and more.
But the eighth wonder of the world according to some, is nothing like anything on this list, it is called compound interest. Compound interest is when the interest gained on principal is applied or added to the principal so that interest is earned on the interest previously earned. The result is an exponential increase in one’s resources.
For example consider Amy, a 22-year-old college graduate, saves $300 per month into an account earning 10% per year for six years. (That’s the average annual return of the stock market over time.) Then at age 28, she starts a family and decides to stay home with the children full time. By then, Amy had kicked in $21,600 of her own money. But even if she doesn’t contribute another cent ever, her money would grow to a million bucks by the time she turned 65.
Compare that to Jason, who put off saving until he was 31. He’s still young enough that becoming a millionaire is within reach, but it will be tougher. Jason would have to contribute the same $300 a month for the next 34 years to earn $1 million by age 65. Although Amy invested less money out-of-pocket -- $21,600 over six years vs. Jason’s $126,000 over 34 years -- her money had more time to grow, or compound. (Erin Burt, Behold the Miracle of Compounding, Kiplinger.com, November 8, 2007)
I think a similar dynamic is released among God’s people when they compound their energies and resources together for the work of Christ. For example when I set out to act in ministry on my own, I only accomplish what I can do on my own. Likewise, when you set out to make a difference in the life of another, you can only accomplish what you as one person can accomplish. When the two of us combine our faith, our passion, our time and our resources, somehow we end up accomplishing more than two of us would on our own. It’s what I call compound faith. When we agree to work towards the same end, in this case Loving God and loving our Neighbor we will be able to accomplish so much more life change than we could alone.
Here’s what I need from you. I’m asking you to invest yourself in loving God and loving our neighbors for the next two years. Will you do it?
Next Sunday I’m going to share with you how we can accomplish more than we ever dreamed possible by compounding our faith with our finances.
