Redneck Christians

Since Easter we have been considering what keeps us locked away in the upper room like the Disciples. The point that I keep trying to support is that we need to learn how to be a church that is not limited by walls…Wither as protection from the world pressing in on us or as a way of blocking our movement into the world.

Basically, I have been suggesting that we become a church without walls.

Walls are manmade limits, rules that enable insiders to be comfortable.

I have been stressing the need for the church and its members to have a vision that has been shifted to be an attempt the see with God’s eyes. The only way that we can modify our vision by allowing scripture to help us to learn what God is looking for.

Several weeks ago, we started out looking at the Father’s response to the prodigal son…how the Father was welcoming to wayward individuals. However, the biggest danger for Christians is to be more like the older brother and use the walls of the church to reject sinners and outsiders.

We have also looked at the role that God expects of his children…Which is basically the position of Royal priest representing God to the people in this world that don’t know how to approach God. While most of us would say that we know that we tend to hold back thinking that we are not qualified to be a rep for God, so we only look for ways to improve our selves and resist interacting with others. The main point that I hope you heard was that no matter where we are or what we are doing, we are the church….

Wither you embrace the role or not your every word and action represents God to the people around you.

We have also taken a little time to make sure that we understand God’s mission. As priest we are to focus on reaching out to people so that they can join us in the journey to heaven. Our mission is not denomination, traditions, places or things. It is about People!

I explained that that we are to be a active ambassadors for God. We don’t just wait on people to approach is as priest…we also reach out to people and offer relationship.

Our mission is one where we are allow to be as creative and to invest ourselves in the importance of the mission. I describes the process as DAHG (BOG) Big Auditions Harry Goals. The problem is that BHAG (BOG) has a tendency to produce BHAA – (BAAAAA)

- Big Harry Audacious Anxiety which might also be pronounced FEAR.

In our last time together we looked at how a branch that gets separated from the vine can never bear fruit. The idea was that none of us can ever bear fruit if we fail to focus our relationship with Christ. It is His activity working through us that produces fruit. The idea is that God’s expects us to be in the world and empowered to be the priest and ambassador for Him out side of the walls of this place.

I know the recap was a bit long..but it seemed important to review the direction that we have been traveling.

So today we have come to a very special day in the church. It mist be special because all the paramanents are red. Today is Pentecost…technically the birthday of the Church.

Let’s read this morning’s scripture: Acts 2: 1-21

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. Utterly amazed, they asked: "Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs-we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!" Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, "What does this mean?"

Some, however, made fun of them and said, "They have had too much wine."

Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: "Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning!