Who’s counting on you? Have you ever thought about that? Who’s counting on you? Who’s counting on you for support? For hope? For love? For Christ?
I’ll never forget when NBA Hall of Famer (and now commentator) told the press that he wasn’t a “role model”. He though because he didn’t feel like one…then, he must not be one.
Whether you feel it or not…whether you see it or not…
Someone is counting on you.
o That someone is counting on you for encouragement.
o That someone is counting on you for some of your time.
o That someone is counting on you to simply listen.
o That someone is counting on you to introduce them to their Savior.
I believe the people you encounter are people you can reach.
KEY:
The question is – who do you see every day?
o Who do you see when you see your waiter?
o Who do you see when you meet the other parent’s on your kid’s sports team?
o Who do you see when you exercise?
o Who do you see in the all the normal places you go to?
As we talk about “Who’s Counting on You?” over these 3 weeks, each week, I plan on highlighting our 3 core practices as a church. Every Fountain Springer can own these core practices as their own.
FSCC CORE PRACTICES: REACH-TEACH-RELEASE
o REACH people for Christ.
We unapologetically want to reach lost people…we went to help people who don’t know Jesus Christ as their Savior come to know and own how much He loves us.
This isn’t as normal as it should be…
o A survey released by The Barna Group, which has been tracking America’s religious behavior and beliefs since 1984, reveals that 1 out of every 3 adults (33%) is classified as unchurched.
o 75% of American churches are plateaued or shrinking.
o 24% of American churches have grown by people leaving other churches.
o 1% of American churches have grown by reaching unchurched people.
Many times, we place all the blame of these statistics on the “Church” organization. But, I think Christians needs to pay attention to this:
o 97% of Christians dies w/out ever sharing about their faith with an unbeliever.
o 98% of American churches focus only on the desires/needs of other Christians.
Let me bring this home a bit:
o According to the census bureau, 10% of people in Pennington County are a part of an evangelical church.
Simply put:
o 9 out of 10 people are counting on you
KEY:
Our perspective needs to change where more attention must go to people who don’t know Jesus versus those who do.
Why do I say that? Because Jesus did:
Luke 19:10
Jesus said, “I have come to seek and save the lost.”
KEY:
The church needs a paradigm shift…
Those who don’t believe must be our priority.
KEY:
We fail when we begin to protect what we prefer rather than
pursue what He loves.
KEY:
To what extent would you go to reach someone?
READ MARK 2:1-14
So many people are afraid to reach out because “reaching out” is misunderstood.
The story I just told you didn’t involve some friends saying:
o We want to reach out, so lets go to seminary.
o We want to reach out, so guilt people into going to church.
These guys did two simple things to reach out.
“Reaching” requires:
COMPASSION
o Jesus lived in Capernaum.
o The place was packed where he was speaking.
o Simply put, there was limited “seating” (or standing).
o Instead of thinking about their “seat”, they had compassion on those who couldn’t get in front of Jesus.
o These guys had compassion on this paralyzed boy/teenager.
KEY:
His friends saw him for who he could be…
not for who he was…
not for how others saw him…
Look at how Jesus first reached this guy (that interrupted His teaching)…
Mark 2:5
Son, your sins are forgiven.
We typically think Jesus healing someone’s disease is the incredible act…but Jesus starts with the fact that this guy was lost…he needed forgiven…he needed a Savior…he needed compassion.
This was Jesus’ M.O.
KEY:
Jesus healed the man’s soul before He healed the man’s body.
Matthew 14:14
When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
Matthew 20:31-34
The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” Jesus stopped and called them. “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked. “Lord,” they answered, “we want our sight.” Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.
Mark 1:40-41
A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured.
Mark 6:34
When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd.
Mark 8:1-2
Jesus called his disciples to him and said, 2 “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. 3 If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance.”
KEY:
When you see people with out Jesus, how do you see them?
o With judgment?
o With compassion?
Do you know what keeps us from reaching out? FEAR.
How do you fight the fear to reach out?
Compassion is when you connect your heart with someone’s hurt.
KEY:
We, the Church, cannot be satisfied with being sympathetic to people when it comes to reaching people.
KEY:
We, the Church, must see people’s hearts as God sees their hearts.
We need a change of perspective…
VIDEO: Get Service?
http://www.sermonspice.com/product/14972/get-service
KEY:
Christian compassion is seeing people with Christ’s passion.
“Reaching” requires:
EFFORT
Mark 2:3-4
Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. 4 Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on.
KEY:
God’s will for the paralyzed guy was that he’d be healed…
HOWEVER…
The man had to count on others to fulfill God’s willl…to help him get in front of Jesus.
By not showing effort, do we block people from knowing Jesus?
KEY:
We can’t forget why we’re here.
CONCLUSION
Mark 2:17
I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.
We need a change of perspective…rather than reading the names of people who have donated to the building campaign or have served a ton of hours…listen to this…
CONCLUSION:
Read names of people who have been saved in past 18 months.
People can write names on “Who’s Counting on You?” posters.
