Whatever It Takes

Whatever It Takes

04/25/04

Mark 3:1-6

INTRO: Last week we looked at the first part of our mission statement:

To Passionately Pursue God.

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind.” Matthew 22:37

This week we are looking at the second part:

To Express His Love to Others

“Love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 22:39

The first question to ask is what does Gods love look like?

Paul paints a picture of God’s love in I Cor. 13

“Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have. Love doesn’t strut, doesn’t have a swelled head, doesn’t force itself on others, isn’t always ‘me first,’ doesn’t fly off the handle, doesn’t keep score of the sins of others, doesn’t revel when others grovel, takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, puts up with anything, trust God always, always looks for the best, never looks back, but keeps going to the end. Love never dies.”

I Cor. 13:4-8 (The Message)

God’s love looks like Jesus acted.

“Another time he went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, ‘Stand up in front of everyone.’ Then Jesus asked them, ‘Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?’ But they remained silent. He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.” Mark 3:1-6

Points From the Passage:

1) Jesus was more concerned with the mans need than with the religious tradition.

Jesus could have waited until the next day to heal him. That was the tradition. The oral tradition was to heal only if life was in danger.

2) The religious leaders were more concerned about their tradition than the man.

“Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath.” Mark 3:2 (NIV)

3) Jesus was angered and saddened at the condition of their hearts.

“ He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts,” Mark 3:5 (NIV)

4) The religious leaders were angered at Jesus not awed by Him.

“Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.” Mark 3:6(NIV)

Facts about churches in America:

85% of American churches are not growing.

14% of American churches grow by transfer.

1% of American churches grow by leading people to Jesus.

A national survey asked the members of churches “What is the purpose of your church?”

89%- To care for the members

11%- To win the world

The same survey asked the pastors of the same churches “What is the purpose of your church?”

10% - To care for the members

90% - To win the world.

At Countryside, same question “What is the purpose of your church?”

19% To care for the members

24% To win the world

57% Both

At Countryside, we must be willing to do whatever it takes to be a 1% church.

Steps to change:

1) Adjust the focus. (circle of volunteers)

We must be willing to look toward our culture instead of turning our back on it.

2) Love like Jesus.

We need to open our arms and our doors to those desperate for Gods love.

“Even though I am free of the demands and expectations of everyone, I have voluntarily become a servant to any and all in order to reach a wide range of people: religious, nonreligious, meticulous moralists, loose-living immoralists, the defeated, the demoralized—whoever. I didn’t take on their way of life. I kept my bearings in Christ—but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view.”

I Cor 9:19-23(The Message)

3) Do Whatever It Takes!

We must be willing to do whatever needs to be done to express Christ’s’ love to those who need it the most.

Passion Movie Music Style

Fall Festival Message Style

Family Picnics Dress Style

Build Relationships

We must be willing to give up preference for purpose.

Interview Phyl Sullivan about music.

It’s not for me.

Conclusion: Are we willing to do whatever it takes to be a 1% church?