Because, you can’t just sit there
James 2:14-18
Today we are continuing on a line of thought we started 2 Sundays ago. I have been leading you down a path and pointing out the things that God has placed along the way. I have been pointing out that you have to read the map for yourself. so that you can get where your spiritual journey is taking you.
We have looked at the fact that God expects you to grow up and quit taking whatever someone feeds you, to be able to decide from your own study of the Word of God where you are headed. Last week I pointed to additional information, who you are, a priest of God and what you are to do - serve in the kingdom. As a Christian we are all priest and we are to do the work of the church, Not church work. The work of the church is finding ways of inviting people to have faith and become disciples. The most important role of the priest is to represent God to the people that are outside the church, the ones that are suspicious, board, hurt and any other situations that separate a person from a relationship with God.
A few years ago, there is story a about a man by the name of Larry Walters, 33-year-old when the incident occurred. Hw decided he wanted to see his neighborhood from a new perspective. So, he went down to the army surplus store and bought forty-five used weather balloons.
That afternoon he strapped himself into a lawn chair, to which several of his friends tied the now helium-filled used weather balloons. He took with him, something to drink, a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich, and a BB gun, figuring he could shoot the balloons one at a time when he was ready to land.
Walters, assumed the balloons would lift him about 100 feet in the air, he was caught off guard when the chair skyrocketed more than 11,000 feet into the sky--into the middle of the air traffic pattern at Los Angeles International Airport. He was too frightened to shoot any of the balloons; he stayed airborne for more than two hours, and forced the airport to shut down its runways for much of the afternoon.
Soon after he reached the ground, he was arrested, reporters asked him three questions:
"Were you scared? "Yes."
"Would you do it again? "No.
"Why did you do it?" "Because you can’t just sit there."
Now, this man had some problems in his logic. Perhaps he was not as prepared with the facts as he should have been. Maybe he needs wiser friends to guide him in the decision making process.
But he had something right. He was willing to take a risk, to try something new, he was willing to make a plan and try. Why?
Because, You can’t just sit there.
On the past couple of Sunday’s I have felt that I am bring you a reminder of what church is about.
It is not about coming here just to be fed. It is not about coming to visit with friends, family or to be entertained. Don’t get me wrong, that is part of the picture. Church is not supposed to be like watching TV, where everything is handed to us. It is interactive, it works best with both take and give, hearing and sharing.
Do you remember your first invitation to church, some of you may. More likely many of most of you may think that it has always just been apart of life. Born, then bingo, you were at Church every Sunday and Wednesday.
That was a big part of the culture many years ago. Perhaps you raised your kids the same way. But the culture has changed around the church and the automatic nature of church has been gone for a long time. For well over half of this country the norm has nothing to do with church.
We are a culture that wants excitement and action. We get board if stuff is not flashing by. The remote control is the power to visually experience WWII to live sports all over the world.
When you came to this church - how different was it than it is today? Physically, outside and inside. Does it look pretty much like it did 5, 10, 25 maybe 30 years ago. How about the Sunday school lessons and the preaching? The format of the worship and the classes?
Do you think that this church has a chance of attracting someone who is not already knowledgeable about church and church people? Really?
When you were a child and a young adult, who was here taking care of business?
Who taught the classes and served as leaders.
Several of you were here when the foundation was dug and the block laid. Who did the work and paid the bill? Did they do it to look big or did they do it for God and their family and friends?
Did they do it because you just can’t sit there?
I was not even borne when God had his people put a church on this corner. I can only guess at how the place looked back then. I can only guess that a group of people had a God given vision and worked really hard, gave of themselves sacrificially to make this place come up from the ground.
Today I want you to really try to be open to the fact that God gives visions. So what is the vision that God offers today. My dad has been a salesman most if my life. I recall him describing the expectations that he lived under. He was normally good enough to meet his sales Quota. He earned lot’s of trips as rewards. But after the trip when he got back to work his boss would ask how he was doing on his NEW Quota, you have been gone for a week and you are behind… The phrase dad uses was “I know what you did last year but what have you done lately?”
It sounds really demanding doesn’t it? Push push push, time is wasting, Get going. Sounds like our world doesn’t it. You know it really was for dad’s own good. Being a commission sales person, if he did not get out and visit and meet new people he was not going to earn a living and never going to get the reward of the big trip.
Aren’t you glad God does not work that way? Aren’t you glad that God tells us that we made it when we accept by faith?
Eph 2:8 -
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God
So it is a done deal, We have nothing else to do. We have a free ride. We are on God’s welfare system and we have already done a part, filed the paperwork and earned this……..
Some people have talked about the old days and of course I think, we really remember only the best and the worst of times. The normal stuff gets blurred in our memories. Do you think that the people, and some of you are some of them, really could have ever dreamed of what this church would be like today?
Would they and are you satisfied with where we are now?
Satisfied with where we are headed in the next 1 to 5 years.
I have an interesting advantage. My history here is only a couple of years old. I have no hidden memories of the original vision of the builders of this place. I have no memories of the things that were tried and failed or a time of harsh words or actions to put behind me. I have no direct knowledge of bad preachers or people that might have hurt things.
I have the advantage of being transplanted here and not have a clue of the best and the worst. I can see the physical signs that God put roots down deep in this soil that is what this building and the people here are evidence God’s Grace and his Glory.
The works of the founding members are still a blessing to us today. And we are maintaining this gift. We keep the place painted, and grass cut and over the years, large and small improvements have been made. The investment made 50 years ago is still paying dividends, that was a great vision they committed to.
But what about the other half of the puzzle. The building is just a container for the body of Christ. It is a safe place to grow up and to learn our jobs as priest. The living body of Christ is also affected by Gods vision and his work in our lives.
But we have to do something, Because you can’t just sit there.
Is the body of Christ in this place holding up as well as the physical location?
I am full of questions today, because it is important that you think for yourselves and be open to God leading your thoughts.
Let me make a pure guess about the answer to that question. No, the body of Christ is not doing as well as it once was. My guess is based on stories from some of you and the photos and slides we saw at homecoming. My guess is based on how many people are here today and how few visitors we receive. It is based on the level of involvement of our members in activities and mostly on the lack of involvement as a force in the outside world.
How are we fulfilling the Great commission, where are the works that show the world, that we depend on God, that we believe in God, that God is not an exclusive club. What causes have we stepped up to, to make a difference?
This morning I want to help you see that God has a vision for this church. He is working and wanting our participation. To get your attention it does not matter if I make you angry like telling a 2 year old NO, raise some shame inside of you like only a mother could do or just open your eyes to the call of God on your life.
Because we can’t just sit here!
Today isn’t just a call to find a few Sunday school teachers, or to gain support for some project. Today, I want to bring the renewal of God’s vision with and for this building and the people that Live for Christ in the place, this community and even this world.
The vision I want you to seek is how does God want us to make an impact in this place for him. There has to be something more to working in the kingdom that just holding our own, maintaining the status quo.
-A story is told of Jesus and His disciples walking one day along a stony road. Jesus asked each of them to choose a stone to carry for Him. John, it is said, chose a large one while Peter chose the smallest. Jesus led them then to the top of a mountain and commanded that the stones be made bread. Each disciple, by this time tired and hungry, was allowed to eat the bread he held in his hand, but of course Peter’s was not sufficient to satisfy his hunger. John gave him some of his.
Some time later Jesus again asked the disciples to pick up a stone to carry. This time Peter chose the largest of all. Taking them to a river, Jesus told them to cast the stones into the water. They did so, but looked at one another in bewilderment.
"For whom," asked Jesus, "did you carry the stone?"
For Whom do we keep this place for?
Living where we live, we can get quite comfortable, we easily loose sight of the needs that are all around us. The hurting families, the homeless and hungry, children that have trouble in school, the single moms that feel hopeless.
As God’s priest are visionaries, we see the need around us, the opportunities to make a difference in people’s lives.
In helping with peoples needs, we get the trust and time to feed the ultimate hunger that so many feel and search for a solution for. Many fill it with drugs, alcohol and others with inappropriate relationships.
The visionary sees the need and wants to find a way to help.
People that take action on a vision from God realize that if it is God’s will it does not matter how much it cost, how much trouble it is and they don’t get too worried over the fact that it happens to be impossible. A visionary sees with God’s sight the possibilities without the fog of this world.
What makes you pound the table – angry? What makes you cry when you hear or see it?
Be open to the leading of the Holy Spirit.
God is still looking for people who care… people that will say:
“Here am I, Lord—send me!”
We have a really comfortable place, but to serve God we need to get out of our comfort zone. Take a risk, buy some balloons make a sandwich and see how high God can take us.
All Glory be to God! (Normal Close)
Claire is going to play some soft music and give us a few minutes to sit and be open to God. This meditation time is for us to close off the world and focus on where God is leading us, to open our eyes to his vision.
Every person that has a spark of faith in God, has the guide of the Holy Spirit that will allows them to have discernment for God’s will. It gives the ability to have improved vision, to see with God’s eyes. Some in the church will be the ones to say “maybe not so much helium in the balloons” and others are to say we need to take more drinks and food because we are in this for the long run.
What is it God want us to do?
Is it a foreign mission trip, building improvements, new ministries helping sinners find a meal.
Reflect and answer the Questions you have in your hand. Just answer the questions with total honesty, Positive or negative. Please don’t avoid doing this, some of you are our prophets and we all need your response.
As always the alter is open, it is a place for you to recommit to his will and vision, a place to repent and change the direction of your life. It is a place where you can move to and whisper, God, Why ME? God Help ME? God Help US!
My Child, my friend need you!
In a few minutes we will have our final hymn and dismiss.
Shannon UMC Vision Statement
Reaching out as the hands of Christ, to love, teach and nurture all our neighbors.
Please fill in what is in your heart. Be completely truthful about what you think. Be open to the feelings that the Holy Spirit may give you.
Who are we as a church?
Who do we serve?
What is our biggest problem?
Who are our neighbors?
Describe the people that live a round the building?
What are our resources? – (building, people, talents, money)
Is our building a resource to our neighborhood?
Who should we be targeting in our service?
What type of people should we be attracting to a worship service?
What should our number one goal be?
Are we living our vision statement?
If price were no object, what project, program, tool would you say would change this church to attract new people?
Why are you here?
What keeps you from inviting someone to visit here?
What would make you renew your commitments (Prayer, Presence, money, Service) to Jesus and this church?
What should our outward image be?
Other Comments , your own questions:
