BE052503
WHAT AM I HERE FOR?
4. GAME PLAN FOR A PURPOSE DRIVEN
When more than a million Allied soldiers gathered on British soil at the beginning of 1944, their mission was clear: Beat the Nazis. But how was that going to happen? Churchill’s idea was to storm the beaches of ITALY, not NORMANDY - same objective, different strategy than the one they eventually used.
Imagine if the Allies had no strategy? What would have happened? Schprechen Sie Deutsche? They wouldn’t have achieved their mission. A football team can know it’s mission – win – but it needs more than that, HOW are we going to get that done? It needs a game plan. A Strategy!
So let me review. We’ve spent this whole month recalibrating around our purposes. They come directly from Jesus himself and they are to:
- to love God
- to love Each Other
- to Love Lost People, who matter to God!
Our vision is to be a church that excels in these three loves.
If you take those loves as a whole, they form our mission:
to provide a safe place where unchurched, spiritual seekers of truth, can become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.
That’s our Reaching and Teaching mandate, our mission. Today I want to say, if we don’t have an effective STRATEGY for accomplishing this mission, we’re dead in the water.
(SLIDE) Now, you may think that having a strategy doesn’t sound very spiritual. Should churches even talk about strategy, is that inappropriate? Shouldn’t we just sit around and pray and trust God to strategize? Isn’t that just a business term and idea? Let’s talk about a Biblical basis for every church having a unique strategy.
First, let’s look at that first church from Acts 2 which Peter led. Obviously that’s a church that was crystal clear about it’s mission. It was only 40 days removed from the Great Commission! With that fresh on their minds and the movement of the Holy Spirit showing up, the church was born!
So what was their mission in a phrase?: to reach and teach. Make Disciples, and build them up. Simple.
But here’s where it gets interesting. What was the culture in which that first church took off? What was the people group, the target group where they intended to plant a church and start to save the world?
...the Jews. You see in these verses, Peter gets up in Jerusalem and he addresses his countrymen… the Jews. It’s in this culture the first church starts. That’s the people group, the target. Now it’s here, at the intersection of MISSION and TARGET that you get a thing called strategy.
Strategy is simply the best way of applying Christ’s mission to a given target.
And in this case… what is that strategy? Read the rest of the verse… In this first-ever church sermon, Peter is leveraging the fact that his audience are Jews. They knew the Old Testament and so they knew the prophecies about Messiah, they knew the nature of God, the cost of sin, they understood sacrifice etc.
So if Peter’s going to make the message of Christ relevant to them, what sort of strategy is he going to use? He better tie it to all the previous revelation of the Old Testament. He better use the sacrificial system and prophecy… and this is exactly what he does… quoting Joel and David. 3000 respond to that strategy!
But Peter is not the only church planter in the Bible. Paul also plants many churches in the Roman Empire. Now, as Paul is going about that work, what is his mission? This is not a trick question. Is his core message different than Peter’s? Is his mission different? No.
Col 1:28 "We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ."
That’s reaching and teaching… just like Peter.
But what is Paul’s target? Is Paul’s target mainly the Jews (like Peter) or did he have a different target? Galatians 2:7 says that the early church realized that while Peter was sent to the Jews to reach and teach, Paul was sent to the non-Jews to reach and teach.
That’s Paul’s target… Gentiles. Same mission – different target. And we said it’s at the intersection of mission and target that you get a strategy. So with different targets do you think Paul had the same or different strategy than Peter? Different, obviously.
Look at the verses on the screen… they come from Acts 17 where Paul is preaching to Greeks on Mars Hill. And Paul notes that these people are religious. Now, does he say to himself…
“this is pathetic, these pagans worship these idols, what a sacrilegious, detestable thing, I’ll start by telling them how evil and stupid that is.”
No, he sees their religiousness as a cultural key. They are so desperate to appease the gods, they even have an idol to an unknown God. Paul uses that because he knows it’s a open door for the gospel! If they really are so concerned to touch the divine… then maybe he can use their altar to introduce Jesus as the Unknown God.
That’s what he does. As he’s teaching them about the Biblical God… does he do what Peter did…? Does he come right out and quote Joel and David and refer to the sacrificial system and all that? No, that wouldn’t be an effective strategy. They DO need to know the truth of God’s prior revelation, but notice he starts with where THEY ARE AT, and even quotes one of their Greek own poets!
You see, Paul’s strategy revolved around common points of reference as cultural keys to introduce good news to Greeks. He wasn’t changing the mission, he was just taking where his target was at, and bridging from there, to Biblical truth. Identifying with the Greeks where he could, was how he brought the message to them. That was his strategy and God used it!
Now let’s jump ahead to our world. What is our mission? Again no secret:
...to reach and teach.
And what is our target? Is it 1st Century Jews? No. Is it 1st Century Greeks? No. Is it 18th century Englishmen? No. Is it 16th century Chinese? Is it 21st century Iraqis? No.
Our target is someone we’ve affectionately dubbed Allen Creek Allan… which just refers to a composite portrait of an UNCHURCHED, IRRELIGIOUS, Non-Christian person who lives here in north Snohomish country in the year 2003. That’s the person we want to reach and teach.
Now, let me ask you this: If Peter had a unique strategy for his unique target and Paul had a unique strategy for his unique target… do you think AC3 will have a unique strategy as well? Yes! Read the verse. This is Paul’s core statement about strategy. If you want to know if you have a biblical strategy, it better agree with this verse:
"I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means, I might save some… "
This is not just our permission to be culturally relevant folks… this is our MANDATE be culturally relevant. Any church that is not becoming all things to their target in order to save them is failing! To identify with our target wherever they are, whoever they are… without compromising our faith – is REQUIRED!
Paul is saying a Biblical strategy is going to look different for every target group in the world. Different for Jews than for Greeks. Different for Muslims than for Mormons, different for New Agers than for atheists. Why? Because if lost people MATTER, we will sacrifice to translate the changeless hope of Jesus Christ into the changing terms of our target culture.
So what will our strategy at AC3 look like? To figure that out… we have to know our mission AND we have to know our target.
So let’s get to know our target a little. Our target is not Christians going to other churches. Our target is the LOST. Real, live, unchurched people who are not yet disciples of Christ. Many of you already know way more about our target than you think you do because you WERE the target. You were unchurched.
Others of us haven’t had a real relationship with a real unchurched, non-Christian person in a long time… maybe you’ve strategically avoided them! If that’s you, then it would be helpful to remind us all that our target looks at the world differently than a Christ Follower does. If we’re going to reach them, we better understand that.
Watch these comparison slides and you’ll get the idea: (SLIDE 1) Nice proper couple vs. old, stuffy, cranky, narrow, couple
(SLIDE 2) Sanctified bumper stickers vs. intolerant, push your beliefs on me, self righteousness.
(SLIDE 3) Money is a welcome part of Christian growth vs. money is a scandal
(SLIDE 4) Billy G vs. Priest Scandal.
So that’s just a rough overview of the different ways the unchurched look at Christianity. We went a little deeper in the days before we launched AC3 and actually polled unchurched folks about why they didn’t go to church. After about 200 responses, here’s the breakdown of why our target does not go to church:
· People who go to church are hypocrites
· People in churches look down on me
· There are other ways to know God
· They only want my money
· Church is boring
· I’m too busy to go to church
I’d like you to close your eyes and picture this person. Allen Creek Allan. He lives in Snohomish County, he’s in his 30’s, part of the Atari wave generation, married at least once. He’s blue collar, he likes things informal. He values his recreation time.
On the average Sunday morning, he gets up, reads The Herald and maybe has a beer while he watches some sports. He doesn’t go to church, hasn’t for years. His religion is personal, a vague sense of spirituality and morality. He doesn’t really understand Christianity and he probably couldn’t name two Christians he respects deeply.
Churches are everywhere, but they might as well be on Mars for all the chance that Allan has of linking up with one on his own. How on earth on we going to reach and teach this guy? This TARGET? What will our strategy be?
When we started working on our Game Plan, and we looked at the Allan’s we knew, there was a few things that we wrote off right off the bat.
- We said, we’re not going to rely on Television as if vast numbers of non-churched people are surfing the tube Sundays just looking for a good televangelist.
- We said, we’re not going to rely on passing out pamphlets on street corners, putting on bumper stickers, or telephone call campaigns.
Why not? Because of our target. Summarize with one word what is hanging them up on the Christian faith: It’s not Jesus, it’s not the Bible, it’s TRUST… In today’s world of religious and political scandals, of selfishness and family breakdown, people want to know one thing… can I trust you? Friends, when strangers approach me, my walls go up. I think, what’s your angle? What are you trying to sell me?
So the beginning point of a strategy that reaches Allan had to start with something that builds trust. And he trust his friends… his friends are more trusted than his own family very often. We live in a day and age, that trust in all institutions is dwindling… it used to be
- if you saw it print, you believed it,
- if the government said it, you believed it,
- if the preacher preached it, you believed it,
- if the doctor said it, you took to the bank.
No more! In a day of massive family breakdown, people are the walking wounded and wounded people don’t trust easily. But if A FRIEND wants to talk to me about something he thinks is important, my walls are down, I’m open. Therefore, we knew our strategy had to begin there.
STEP ONE: RELATIONSHIP
In this first step we as a congregation commit to loving lost people enough to do what it takes to build authentic, real, caring relationships with them. To be salt and light. In step one, YOU, Allen Creek are the first link in the chain of Allen coming to Christ.
STEP TWO: INVITATION.
In other words, as you establish this rapport and someday the conversation lends itself to a discussion of matters of the heart, you hope and pray for a chance to say,
Friend, my life is new because of Jesus Christ. I can tell you how that all came about and how he could change yours too if you’re interested.
In our second step we’re all motivated, AND trained and praying for one of these defining moment conversations. Which is why I think everyone of us, sooner or later ought to go through our Contagious Christian Quest elective.
But there’s another piece to this step, because with Allan, he doesn’t trust right? So he’s going to need to kick the tires on the Christianity thing before he buys. He’ll need to investigate. He’s not jumping into anything… is it safe? Here’s where our strategy gives you a key tool to fulfill your purpose to love lost people:
We have a SEEKER SERVICE. We want to offer you a safe place that you can be proud to bring your friends to. Where they would actually come to investigate Christianity. Now when you think about who Allan is, you’ll understand the values we put into designing that service:
-Safety
o You MATTER!
o No appeals for $ (politics not central)
o Anonymity allowed (Welcome, not harassed)
o Casual (not looked down on)
-Relevance
o Using Cultural “Keys” and Arts (altar to unknown god)
o “Churchese” No, Communication Yes!
o Excellence (says this matters)
o Authentic Real people / real issues / real answers
Here they can kick the tires, check out Christianity at their own pace, have some of their stereotypes blow away, and their questions answered – so that someday, as the Spirit convicts, they’ll be introduced to Jesus Christ. That will be an exciting day in their life, in your life, in the life of AC3!
That’s team evangelism. Where those with gifts of creative communication and evangelism, team up with all of us called to love lost people and we ache and stretch and sacrifice to win them.
But you know, the game plan doesn’t end there. Our mission is full devotion! So next step,
STEP THREE: GROWTH.
Now we teach a new follower of Jesus Christ new habits. They’ve just been rescued from the world, where they were a slave to materialism and hedonism, denying their souls. Now they need to learn to feed and develop their remade souls with new habits, prayer, Bible reading, solitude.
STEP FOUR: WORSHIP
Allen Creek ALLAN now needs to find his way toward this service. Why? Because
- he needs to learn that he was created for worship.
- He needs to take communion to celebrate the event that brought him into God’s family, and
- he needs deeper level feeding from God’s Word.
- AND, Allan needs even more than that to fulfill his purposes…
STEP FIVE: COMMUNITY
Allan needs to find a circle of friendship, in the family of God… a safe place where he can take his masks off and get real with other disciples. A place where his life changes; his marriage is remade, where his buddies cheer him on and hold him accountable and love him… and he does the same for them.
STEP SIX: SERVING
Allan is now tasting the deep riches of his new life in Christ… and he realizes that God has deposited in his life at least one spiritual gift. And he’s thinking about how he can serve Christ and his new family because he realizes he’s part of a larger family now. So God has called him to use his gifts and experiences and personality to serve OTHERS.
At this point, this person who not too long ago was headed for a Christ-less eternity, is now real close to becoming a FULLY DEVOTED follower of Christ. It’s here that they turn around and say, you know what? I love what God did for me, and I realize that all I have belongs to God, my time, my talent, my treasure.
STEP 7 - STEWARDSHIP.
This is where Allan says, I am going to consistently and cheerfully honor God with the first portion of my time, talents AND money. I am not just a spectator here, I’m a committed member of this family. Stewardship is the hardest part of maturity for anyone… but when Allan gets this, he’s a full player in the Kingdom Game!
Now God has access to every part of his life, even his pocket book! Jesus Commission is now HIS Mission and he fully owns it.
Now look at this next slide and you can see this whole month of teaching come together. On the left are our great purposes. Love God, Love the Church, Love the Lost. And you can see how we are living out those loves if we are increasingly mature in the areas of these 7 G’s.
- going
- grace
- growth
- glorifying
- grouping
- gifting
- giving
Now catch this: If we ARE these kinds of people we will DO the kinds of things that accomplish our mission!!! If we ARE 7 G Christians, we will engage more and more in each part of our church strategy.
- A “GOER”, will be in relationship with lost people
- A “GRACER”, will be sharing good news and inviting people hear good news at our seeker services
- A “GROWER”, will be becoming more like Jesus by new habits
- A “GLORIFIER” will be committed to worship
- A “GROUPER” will be in community, devoted to the family of God
- A "GIFTER" will be leveraging their talent for Christ’s church, serving others
- A "GIVER" will be investing their money in eternity.
And the best part is, a person at level 7, a person at the level of STEWARDSHIP says, I am ALSO a steward of the Great Commission… it has been given to me! Jesus COMMISSION is now my MISSION to succeed at or fail! So NOW, FDF Allan says,
"...I’m going get involved in taking MY unchurched friends through the same process I went through. For as I learn all that Jesus commanded, included is the Great Commission itself."
So as every new follower gets baptized and trained… part of their training is to be sent back into the world to bring others along! How cool is this! A never ending kingdom cycle of growth that changes the world, one heart at a time.
Finally AC3 Quest exists to give you tools and training so you can actively, intelligently and knowledgeably engage your church’s strategy. Quest Discovery gives those basic tools, that’s why we constantly advertise these opportunities:
AC3 MISSION – is the overview of our mission which you now have completed! The next core learning elective is…
LIFE ON PURPOSE – (LOVING God) which supports the qualities of
- GROWING,
- GROUPING,
- GIVING
next…
NETWORK – (LOVING THE CHURCH) which supports the qualities of
- GLORIFYING and
- GIFTING
next
CONTAGIOUS Christian – (LOVING THE LOST) which supports the qualities of
- GOING and
- GRACE
Deputy Sheriff Les Brown had been called in to take another San Diego officer’s beat. As luck would have it, police dispatch radio suddenly called Brown’s car number. "Child choking! Handle Code Three!"… the address was several miles from Les.
Code three! He hit the siren and the lights and put the hammer down. Every second counted! Quickly Brown reviewed the quickest route. The 101 would be packed. But there was another freeway near here, that was partially finished. Not many people used it yet. Soon he was on the new freeway.
One exit flashed by. Another. The next one should be the one he was looking for. Yet, there was no exit! A sign named the right street. But the exit ramp hadn’t been finished yet! He stopped, looked over the edge of the road at a rough, steep hillside and at the bottom – a wide, deep ditch.
Somewhere beyond that, on the other side of the ditch, a child was dying. Very likely he could see the street from here. But he couldn’t get there! He had no time to look for another road, no time to call another police car, either. What was he going to do?
Suddenly a voice spoke. "What’s the matter, officer? Can I help?" A giant earthmoving machine had come up next to him. The driver was looking down at Brown with worry on his face.
"A child is choking to death! I have to get down there, but there’s no road. I’ll never make it in time if I have to go around."
"Follow me, officer," the driver said. "I’ll make you a road!" Like a dinosaur waking from a nap, the giant machine slowly started to move. It rumbled down the steep hill, scattering dirt as it went. It left a flat track behind it. Just as the driver had promised, the track was a sort of road. It was bumpy, but Brown could drive on it. He followed along on the new "exit ramp" that was being made just for him.
At last the earthmover reached the deep ditch at the bottom. There the driver swung the machine’s giant scoop into action. It bit into the hillside and dumped big mouthfuls of dirt into the ditch. Within minutes, the ditch was full.
Following the earthmover, Brown’s police car finally rumbled up onto a city street. It was the same street that had seemed so far away only a few minutes before. Brown didn’t wait to thank the construction worker. He raced to the address and there saw a
weeping woman holding a baby.
The baby had turned blue. Brown grabbed the baby from her. He gave it The Heimlich Maneuver and as Brown squeezed the baby’s chest, a button flew out and onto the floor. The child’s color turned from blue to red, then he began to scream. He was going to be fine.
The next day Officer Brown passed by the spot on the new freeway to thank the man on the earthmover. He got out and saw the monster machine at work. The driver saw him, too. He ran toward Brown. Something more than running seemed to make him out of breath.
"The baby... The baby..." he panted. "The baby’s fine", Brown said. "You helped save his life as much as I did. Man, that was teamwork!"
"I know", the man said. "But I know something else now that I didn’t know then." His voice dropped almost to a whisper. "That baby we saved was my son!"
AC3, with us teaming together, we can make a way, a road, to get good news out to where it’s most desperately needed. And who knows? As we team together to build a church that makes this road, the next person who finds good news may be your son, or daughter, or neighbor or mom or dad, or best friend. What wouldn’t we give, or do... to save them?
