Dangerous. That word describes a certain strip of seacoast. Shipwrecks were numerous there. Some folks that lived in that area were greatly concerned about the loss of human life so they built a crude little lifesaving station. The building wasn’t much. It was really just a shack. They only had one boat but the few who saw the need were devoted to the cause. They kept a constant watch over the sea. Without thought for themselves, they went out day or night searching for those who had been lost in the sea.
Even though they were small and didn’t have the best equipment, they saved a lot of lives and because of that, they gained some notoriety. Some of those who were saved along with various other people in the area wanted to become affiliated with this life-saving station. They gave their time, effort, and money to support its work. The little lifesaving station grew.
Some of the new members grew discontent with the building. They felt it was crude and poorly equipped. They felt that there ought to be a larger and more comfortable building for such an important venture.
They built a bigger building and replaced the emergency cots with beds. They put nicer furniture in the public areas. This lifesaving station became a popular gathering place for its members so they redecorated it beautifully and furnished it as sort of a club.
Less of the members were now interested in going out on the sea on lifesaving missions. They hired life boat crews to do this work. The original mission of lifesaving was given lip-service but most of the members were too busy or lacked the commitment to personally take part in the lifesaving activities.
About this time a large ship was wrecked off the coast, and the hired crews brought in boat loads of cold, wet and half-drowned people. They were water-logged, dirty and sick. Some of them had skin of a different color, some spoke a strange language, and the beautiful new clubhouse was looking grungy. The property committee had a meeting and built a shower house outside of the clubhouse where the victims of shipwreck could be cleaned up before coming inside.
At the next full meeting of its members, there was a great uproar. Most of the members wanted to stop the club's lifesaving activities because they were unpleasant and were becoming a hindrance to the normal pattern of the club.
But some members insisted that lifesaving was their primary purpose and pointed out that they were still called a lifesaving station. Those who liked their clubhouse just the way it was outvoted those who supported the original mission. The lifesaving advocates were told that if they wanted to save the lives of all various kinds of people who were shipwrecked in those waters, they could begin their own lifesaving station down the coast. So they did.
As the years went by, the new station experienced the same changes that had occurred in the old. They evolved into a club and yet another lifesaving station was founded. If you visit that seacoast today you will find a number of exclusive clubs along that shore. Shipwrecks are still frequent in those waters, but now most of the people drown.
Sad story. Disheartening. I never want that to happen here at Central Park. I want us to be strong in our mission – reaching out to save those who are shipwrecked by the storms of this world.
Because of that mission, I want to ask you a very important question this morning. But before I do that, I need to share with you the reason this particular question is very important. It’s because drug addiction is on the rise here in Vermilion County and across our nation. It’s because our societal systems are devaluing the role of the church and the authority of the Bible. It’s because children are being abused. It’s because people are looking for anything to fill the void within themselves. It’s because people need what Christ has to offer. It’s because lost people need to be lead to safety. It’s because people are lost and dying and going to hell.
So here is the question. Each one of us need to answer it willingly and truthfully. Do I love the church more than I love Jesus and lost people?
Don’t misunderstand what I’m asking. We should love the church. We are the church. The church is the Bride of Christ. Jesus loves his bride. He gave his life for it and is returning at some point to take his bride home to the Father. So I’m not saying, “Don’t love the church.”
Here’s the extent of the question: Do I love THIS church, do I love THIS fellowship, do I love the programs and the processes of Central Park more than I love Jesus and lost people? Is it more important to maintain things as they are or is it more important to fulfill our mission?
Following his resurrection, Jesus has a conversation with Peter. We read about this encounter in Jn. 21:15-17 – When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” 16 Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”
17 The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.”
Jesus is saying Peter, “If you really and truly love me, you have to love my sheep as well.” If Jesus wore T-shirts, he might have been wearing one on this day that said, “Love me, love my sheep.” To Jesus, loving him meant loving what was most important to him.
During his earthly ministry, Jesus many times taught in a story form known as parables. In Luke 15, he tells a story that I believe gives us some insight into understanding a large part of what he was instructing Peter to do.
Lk. 15:1-7 – Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” 3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.”
So, we go back to the important question: Do I love the church more than I love Jesus and lost people? There are some indicators that love for this local fellowship is more important to me than relationship with Jesus and our mission to list people. This is not a complete list of indicators but it should give us some food for thought.
One indicator is if I cling to tradition over mission then I love the church more than I love Jesus and lost people. Here’s a way to grasp this idea. If someone asks the question, “Why do we do things this certain way?” and the answer given is, “Because that’s the way we’ve always done it,” that could be a sign that tradition has replaced mission.
A lot of church traditions through the years have developed because of a desire to fulfill the mission of the church. Pulpits were originally built to enable better communication before the days of microphones, video screens or even printed Bibles for every person became commonplace. John Calvin wore a robe because, in his day, it was important where he preached to have academic credentials and the robe demonstrated these credentials to the people to whom he ministered. The organ was a pagan instrument used to usher in kings. The church fought using it, but ultimately concluded that organ music was appropriate for the culture of that time. These were all missional decisions.
When a program or a process becomes tradition, the sense of mission fades. Everything keeps coming back to mission and seeing people put faith in Jesus and grow as a disciple of His. We have to evaluate things according to this criteria: Am I holding onto tradition because it’s what’s familiar to me, or because what we do is most effective for the mission of seeing new generations know Jesus?
A second indicator is if I prize music over worship then I love the church more than I love Jesus and lost people. Corporate worship is more than music. Gene Mims, Kingdom Principles for Church Growth: “The purpose of worship is to come before the Lord in obedience to praise Him, to hear from Him, to confess to Him, and to commit our lives to Him. Every worship service is to be an encounter with the Lord, transcending our feelings, desires, and even our abilities to perform.”
The focus of authentic worship is not on musical styles. It’s on God. It’s doing what bring glory, honor, and pleasure to Him. Are you convinced that an all-hymns format is more worshipful than any other format? Then you’ve missed the point. Do you think that an all-contemporary song service is more worshipful than any other format? Then you’ve missed the point. Music is a vehicle. It’s something that gets you to where you’re going. No format is more biblical or worshipful than any other as long as its goal is glory, honor, and
pleasure to God
However, we also have to remember that one of the by-products of worship is evangelism. God is certainly honored and is certainly pleased when people want a relationship with Him through His Son Jesus Christ (so much so that Jesus tells us that all of heaven celebrates when a lost soul is saved).
If we’re trying to draw people into a close encounter with Jesus Christ, then we need to consider the culture in which we live. If we focus solely on a style of music that reaches our congregation, we are severely limiting our opportunities for evangelism. If we’re going to attempt to reach our culture with the message of the gospel, we need to consider how best to translate the old, old story into something they can understand and relate to.
A third indicator is if I regard building over function then I love the church more than I love Jesus and lost people. I can be more concerned about protecting the church property than I am about using it to draw others into relationship with Jesus Christ.
If I focus on making sure the furniture, the décor and the color scheme are pleasing to my eye then I am putting the building above its intended function. Should we keep the building clean and in good repair? Most certainly. But if the building becomes more important than the mission of the church, then we have lost the reason for the building. It becomes something it was never intended to be.
A fourth indicator would be if I value making a point over making a difference then I love the church more than I love Jesus and lost people. Some people insist on having their way in things. Others like to argue down to the minutest detail. If I’m more concerned about getting my point across than I am loving people into relationship with Jesus, then I’ve missed the point.
We live in a contentious world. People argue and fight over the least little thing. If they don’t see a difference between the world and the church, what’s the point of uniting with a church?
A fifth indicator is if I care for keeping people out over inviting people in then I love the church more than I love Jesus and lost people. If I ever get the idea that I should work to keep certain individuals or groups of people out of the church then I’ve become a stumbling block instead of a stepping stone.
Gay people? Keep ‘em out. Drug addicts? Keep ‘em out. Addicted to pornography? Keep ‘em out. Jesus was known for hanging out with sinners. I am the least like Jesus when I begin to practice prejudice against any one person or any group of people.
A sixth indicator is if I prefer sitting over serving then I love the church more than I love Jesus and lost people. If all I do is attend a meeting once a week because I get to spend some time socializing then I’ve missed the reason why the church exists.
We gather for teaching so we can learn how to live out our lives in a way that draws others to Jesus Christ. We gather for fellowship to remind us that we are not in this endeavor alone. We gather to build each other up so that we can serve Jesus by serving others.
Maybe you’ve heard of what’s called the 80/20 rule. 80% of the work of the kingdom is done by 20% of the people. Some are working hard but most are sitting on the sidelines either enjoying the show or being critical over the work of the few. That’s not the biblical model. The biblical model is that we all share the work. Each one of us has an important role in the work of the kingdom.
The last indicator for this morning’s message is if I pick making excuses over evangelism then I love the church more than I love Jesus and lost people. What I’m saying when I do this is that church is all about me and my family.
What’s your excuse for not sharing your faith with someone else? Some people say, “It’s scary.” Are you truly afraid someone is going to physically harm you because you talk to them about Jesus? What about the millions of Christians who live in areas where they can be tortured and killed for speaking about Jesus? That’s really scary but they do it anyway.
Some people say, “What if they ask a question I can’t answer?” The person you are sharing with may ask a question that you don’t know the answer to. However, if they are interested in the answer, then they are also probably willing to let you find the answer.
Some people say, “Isn’t this what we pay our ministers to do?” It’s not just Michael, Wade, and Dusty’s responsibility. It’s a responsibility that belongs to every one of us. We are to be salt to the world but we need to get out of the salt shaker
Because human beings are made in God’s image, every person is capable of communion with God. Even the “thems.” The “thems” are the people you tell yourself will never be interested in the gospel.
It doesn’t matter if it’s the skinny-jean-clad hipster or the tobacco-chewing redneck. That tattooed drug dealer, because he is made in the image of God, could one day be a passionate worship leader in our church. That woman who seems so stridently political might one day be the leader of a fruitful women’s ministry. Every single member of the “thems” is created by God capable of loving him, praying to him, worshiping him, and receiving all the benefits of the gospel.
So here is my challenge to you. Next time you pass one of “them,” tell yourself, “That person is made in God’s image. They are created capable of knowing God and loving him.” Resist the temptation to divide human beings into “saveable” and “unsaveable.” Ask God for an open door to share the Word with them because there’s a whole world of lost image-bearers out there in desperate need of the gospel of Jesus Christ – even the “thems.”
The whole reason for the church is to love Jesus and love other people. If we love Jesus, then what’s most important to him will be most important to us. Jesus cares most about people – those who are already in relationship with him and those outside of relationship with him.
God’s love is so vast and so deep that sometimes we don’t understand it. We know we’re far from God. We know that no matter what the world tells us or what we tell ourselves that we are lost and lonely on the inside. Even though we are created in God’s image, sin has made that image unrecognizable.
God’s love story seems so incredible that it’s hard to believe. But God said, “Let me demonstrate my love.” When our son Brandon was small, he used to hold out his arms as wide as he could and he would say, “I love you this much.” Jesus loved us so much that he went to the cross. His arms were stretched to almost their breaking point and he was nailed to that cross. He said, “I love you this much.”
What should be our response to that kind of love? If he gave his life for us, we should live our lives for him.
