IlL. Faith without Borders is the physical act of pulling out all stops that limits our trust in Jesus.
“I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.”
C.S. Lewis
Hebrews 11
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Where does the borders in our own lives start and end? Where does our trust in God lie?
Is it beyond the borders that we have staked down around us in our own lives that we are afraid to cross?That cross gives us the power to lift those borders that keep the Gospel limited to a confined area The whole world is full of sinners and unbelievers,so we need to draw from that power the Lord gives us and overcome and pull up all these stakes that keep us from taking a leap of Faith and stepping out on the water where Jesus is,thats waiting on us with open arms and saying;Utilize that Power by Faith I have given you,Let me lead you and guide you through the things not seen or understood.
God calls on us to go beyond our borders! It’d be nice if we realized that our power and purpose do not lie solely within these walls! The church building is a funny building because its contradictory! All other buildings exist to keep out the bad elements! The church building oughta be trying to attract the bad element! What right do we have to vote somebody into the body of Christ? Jesus said “whosoever will…” That does not give me the right to pic and choose as a follower of Christ! Doctors make housecalls. We have access to programs where you can take classes at home. Restaurants have takeout! Its time for the church to do takeout!
Morning service is only the beginning! The service is contiued in what we take out to the rest of the world!It's not confined to these walls! Service is going out into the streets praying for some folk! Service is going to the jails! Service is visiting the sick and shut-in! Service is mentoring that boy or girl who doesn’t have the greatest parental role models!
Yes God wants a church without borders! And he means that literally as in going outside of the building but he also means that figuratively. Some of us put borders around our worship! We just flat out declared how far we’d go when worshipping God! The problem with that is those are physical limitations and worship isn’t supposed to be physical in the first place! We don’t worship in the flesh but rather in spirit and in truth!
It is a Spiritual contradiction for me to confine the spirit and keep him in borders cause where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty! I’m free! Free to let go and let God have his way in me! When the spirit of the Lord comes upon my heart I’ll feel free to dance like David danced! When the spirit of the Lord comes upon my heart I’ll feel free to pray like David prayed! When the spirit of the Lord comes upon my heart I’ll feel free to shout like David shouted!… You sit and stare like bib lettuce if you want but I’ve made up in my mind to give my limitless God, limitless worship!
Acts 20
Paul had it right! He was on time! The faithful believer worshipped with believers wherever he was. He was in Troas on the oceanfront for seven days, which means he was there on Sunday. No doubt he was tired, exhausted, apparently having had no break for years. Instead of taking Sunday off and strolling on the beach, collecting seashells, he was in worship with other believers! Paul was faithful in worshipping on the first day of the week! He was faithful in observing the day the Lord arose! He was faithful in observing the Lord’s Supper! He was faithful in having fellowship with other believers no matter who they were or where they were nor how poor their facilities!
The faithful minister preached long and fervently. He grabbed every opportunity he could to preach despite fatigue and the need for rest! It says Paul preached until midnight! Do we put borders on our worship? Physical borders? Time borders? I ain’t supposed to just keep it holy from 12:00 AM to 11:59 PM on Sundays? I’m not just on business for my Lord and savior Jesus Christ starting at 10:45 AM and ending around 1PM? He never sleeps; he never slumbers! I owe it to him to bless and exalt the Lord at all times…
Acts 20:9
In verse nine, we are introduced to a certain young man. I love how God uses these “certain young men.” Its not always about the Noahs, the Joshuas, the Davids but God uses ordinary people! He’s God! He could call on only the best but no! I’m glad he’s a God without borders! So there was this certain young man named Eutychus. Through him, we’re exposed to two critical issues facing believers. In the first place, he fell asleep in church! Eutychus was a hardworking slave! He worked day in and day out, just like Paul! But unlike Paul, when he got to the worship center, instead of getting into it, he feel into a deep sleep! They both had the same physical situation-they were both tired beyond belief! They both came to the same place, at the same time! But the anchor of the story comes from the choice that one of them made! Eutychus chose to fall into sleep!
Some of us got our eyes open right now but are still sleep! While others are getting into the work of the Lord,ask your selves,are you slackin? While others are studying the word, are you slacking? While others are tithing and giving regularly,are you slacking? While others are making a joyful noise unto the Lord,are you slacking? While others are seeking the Lord while he may be found and calling upon him while he’s near! While they are forsaking their ways and returning to the Lord,are you slacking? While they’re trusting in the Lord with all their heart and leaning not unto their own understanding,are you slacking? I came today to tell you to wake up! You got talents to use! Wake up! You can sing in the choir! Wake up! You can teach a Sunday school class!
There’s some Eutychuses in the house today! Not all of them are slacking though. Eutychus made another choice that we need to pay attention to: He went up to the third floor and sat on the window sill of an open window and as a result, when he fell asleep, he fell out of it. Knowing this we still got believers who put themselves in dangerous places and situations!
Because we fail to realize that regardless of how saved and sanctified we are, we’re still weak! And we can’t rely on our own power and instincts to be able to fight manfully onward, subdue dark passions! Shun evil companions!Disdain bad language! I know that I’ve got an impulse problem! I know I’m a shopaholic! So why in the world would I go hang out at the mall when I know I’m subject to running amuck and buying every shirt, pant, belt, and accessory at Express Men! I’m not the only one with an addiction! You’ve got to learn that there are some places you cannot go! There’s some people you cannot associate with! There’s some shows you cannot watch! There’s some things you cannot do! And if you do, you must be prepared to deal with the concequences! Eutychus is a warning like that loudly barking dog in the neighbor’s backyard. You know he’s there, you know he’s vicious! So if you go back there and get bit, its nobody’s fault but yours cause you knew better!
So now we’ve met Eutychus and we know his problems. Now, lets get back to Paul, our man without borders! The boy was taken up dead, so Paul went down and fell on him and embraced him! They said he was dead, lifeless, beyond help! And he went and fell on him and held him anyway! It’s the responsibility of the church to embrace the lost! Not to shoo them away, not to ignore them, not to talk about them but to embrace them! All they need is love! I don’t care what they tell you! I don’t care how good their family life at home sounds or looks! The fact of the matter is they ain’t been loved enough! You can never have enough love! What the world needs now is love! Spread love instead of spreading lies! Spread love instead of spreading hate! Spread love instead of spreading pain!
Reach out and touch somebody! Embrace the lost! And while you got em there,breathe a word of life in to them! Paul needed to remind the people and Eutychus that the power that gives life was not in him,but Jesus! Sometimes we just need a little reminder that Jesus came that we might have life and that we may have it more abundantly!
I also want to call your attention that even in the midst of this tragedy, the fellowship continued! I want to pose a question “what halts your worship?” What little things do we have that keep us from going back to worship! Little problems interrupt us! Little trials get in the way of our thinking! People come and people go! But I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God! Nothing, no walls! No borders! NOTHING shall separate me!
I wanna be with Jesus all the way! One more thing. It says the boy and his family and the church were all comforted by the wonderful restoration of Eutychus! I wonder if anybody is comforted today by the restoration of Jesus!…Here is what 1 Peter 5-10 says......
To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,
Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:
That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:
Salvation Prayer
Dear God in heaven, I come to you in the name of Jesus. I acknowledge to You that I am a sinner, and I am sorry for my sins and the life that I have lived; I need your forgiveness.
I believe that your only begotten Son Jesus Christ shed His precious blood on the cross at Calvary and died for my sins, and I am now willing to turn from my sin.
You said in Your Holy Word, Romans 10:9 that if we confess the Lord our God and believe in our hearts that God raised Jesus from the dead, we shall be saved.
Right now I confess Jesus as the Lord of my soul. With my heart, I believe that God raised Jesus from the dead. This very moment I accept Jesus Christ as my own personal Savior and according to His Word, right now I am saved.
Thank you Jesus for your unlimited grace which has saved me from my sins. I thank you Jesus that your grace never leads to license, but rather it always leads to repentance. Therefore Lord Jesus transform my life so that I may bring glory and honor to you alone and not to myself.
Thank you Jesus for dying for me and giving me eternal life.AMEN
