Three Vital Relationships: Influence with Outsiders
We are wrapping up our Three Vital Relationships series this morning. We have talked about the importance of our relationship with God and our relationship with those who are a part of our church family. This morning I want to talk about the important or our relationships with those outside the church.
We believe that God has invited us to be integral part of sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with those who have not yet heard. We each have a circle of peers: friends, family members, co-workers and neighbors, who need to hear, and who better to tell them then you; a trusted friend.
Video: Adapted from a vision by William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army
I read a great article by Russell Moore…The Next Billy Graham Might Be Drunk Right Now. In the article he recalls a conversation he had with the theologian Dr. Carl Henry about the condition of the church. Russell was expressing concern about the future of the church; asking where will the next great leaders come from?
He wrote, “We asked Dr. Henry if he saw any hope in the coming generation of evangelicals. And I will never forget his reply.”
“Why, you speak as though Christianity were genetic,” he said. “Of course, there is hope for the next generation of evangelicals. But the leaders of the next generation might not be coming from the current evangelical establishment. They are probably still pagans.”
“Who knew that Saul of Tarsus was to be the great apostle to the Gentiles?” he asked us. “Who knew that God would raise up a C.S. Lewis, a Charles Colson? They were unbelievers who, once saved by the grace of God, were mighty warriors for the faith.”
Of course, the same principle applied to Henry himself. Who knew that God would raise up a newspaperman from a nominally Lutheran family to defend the Scriptures for generations of conservative evangelicals?
The next Jonathan Edwards might be the man driving in front of you with the Darwin Fish bumper decal. The next Charles Wesley might be a profanity-spewing hip-hop artist right now. The next Billy Graham might be passed out drunk in a fraternity house right now. The next Charles Spurgeon might be making posters for a Gay Pride March right now. The next Mother Teresa might be managing an abortion clinic right now.
But the Spirit of God can turn all that around and He seems to take great delight in doing so. The new birth doesn’t just transform lives, creating repentance and faith; it also provides new leadership to the church, and fulfills Jesus’ promise to gift his church with everything needed for her onward march through space and time.
Think about this, in Acts chapter 8 Phillip, one of the original church deacons, is leading the Ethiopian eunuch to Christ. Guess what Saul of Tarsus (later to be known as Paul) was doing? He was still busy imprisoning and killing Christians. The most prolific and influential writer of the New Testament was a murderer until God got ahold of Him.
In the start of the very next chapter we read…
Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.
He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” Acts 9:1-6
God had a plan for Saul’s life, and that plan did not include murdering Christians. So, at the right time God stepped in and Saul experiences this incredible conversion.
Now, most conversion experiences are not nearly as miraculous, but all conversions experience the unique drawing of the Father. Jesus said… "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.” John 6:44
Now, Saul’s conversion was pretty spectacular, but even in this God chose to use one of His children to influence Saul down the right path. Let’s keep reading…
The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. 8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. 9 For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.
10 In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!”
“Yes, Lord,” he answered.
11 The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. 12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.”
13 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. 14 And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”
15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”
17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, 19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength.
What can we learn from Ananias?
1. Ananias was Available
Verse 10 “In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!” “Yes, Lord,” he answered.
Now I know it is easy to look at that and say… “Well, if I heard God say my name, I think I’d probably be available as well?” But how often does God call to us but we are too busy to even notice? How often does He try to get our attention but we are simply oblivious…too distracted…too focused on other things?
Availability is closely tied to week one of this series…Intimacy with God. The more in tune we are with God the better we are at hearing His voice. Do we KNOW His voice? Do we share His heart? That will greatly affect our availability.
2. Ananias was Obedient
Verse 17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
Ananias had some serious doubts about this guy Saul; he had heard the stories. Saul was a murderer; he had certainly added to the persecution many of the believers had experienced. But God had a plan and Ananias responded in obedience and went to Saul.
The point is this; God has chosen to use His children—that’s you and me—to share our faith with those who have yet to hear. Ananias was available and he was being obedient to the great commission, which says…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. Matthew 28:19-20
We all have many important relationships. Certainly, as we have talked about in this series, there is our relationship with God and our relationship with those within the church. We have relationships with our family and close friends, but how intentional are you about developing relationship with those outside the faith. Certainly, or at least hopefully, you have relationships with people who are not Christians; but how intentional are you with those relationships.
None of us can force someone to come to faith in Christ, nor should we even try. Remember, no one comes to Christ unless the Father is at work drawing them. But how available are we to be used by God, like Ananias was, to share the life changing message of the cross?
For those of you who were here last Sunday night, I shared some of this with you, but I’d like to revisit this concept in conclusion. In John 7
On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified. John 7:37-39
Jesus had been talking about the fact that He was not long for this world, but that those who came to Him would be satisfied. And then He references an OT passage and says that His followers would be rivers of living water (Holy Spirit). But for what purpose; Jesus doesn’t really say. However, if you look back to one of the Old Testament passages that Jesus was quoting from, you get a little idea of His point. Many theologians believe that Jesus was referencing a passage from the prophet Isaiah.
Isaiah 58:11-12
The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.
If you stopped reading there you might come away with the idea that the Spirit is given simply so that we might be refreshed and taken care of. And certainly the Spirit of God does that for us. But Isaiah went on.
Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.
The world seems to see the church as a courthouse and Christians as judges; but what if they could see the church as an oasis and Christians as springs of living water.
Repairer of Broken Walls and Restorer of Streets and Dwellings –what a different picture then judge and jury—which is the image many outside the church have of those inside the church—maybe your friends. But what if, instead of a courthouse, those outside saw the church as an oasis—a place where they could find hope and healing, a place where they could be restored and refreshed. What if, instead of being judged and condemned by Christians, they felt loved and cared for?
God has called us to have Influence on those outside the faith…what kind of influence are you having?
