“That Church”

Preached by Rev. Ed Brouwer at The Gathering Place, Osoyoos, BC

Pulpit Series Volume 20 Issue 1 January 10, 2010

Today we will take a look at the four life statements regarding our becoming “That Church”. 

· Willing to go into their world

· Equipped with the gift of inconvenience

· Understand the true meaning of revival

· Earn the right to be heard

                                                                                               Certainly God is challenging us as individuals to be more than a “Sunday Christian”!  Without doubt, He has been trying to show us that church is more than a four walled meeting hall. And that we, as the Gathering Place, are to be more than a  religious gathering in the eyes of our community.

But what does that look like?  First there must be a willingness to go into the world around you. 

Chances are God is already tugging at you to step out for Him and change your world.  Note I said your world not the world. 

You have a world outside these walls!  Do you realize that we spend 70% of our life in what we refer to as ‘the marketplace’?

In the last 37 years in the ministry, I have discovered that fewer and fewer people are actually coming to church without a connection with that church, and that connection needs to be someone that they trust.

According to the Bible, Jesus spent little time in the temple and mega time in the marketplace.  Check it out yourself if you like.

It was in the marketplace that He connected with the people and it was in the marketplace where He healed, performed miracles and raised the dead.

We’ve historically been doing it wrong.  We’ve thought that if we can get people to come to church, Jesus will show up and they’ll get saved healed and set free.

We’d be more productive (bearing much fruit) if we’d simply take Jesus to the people.  Are you ready, let alone willing, to bring the Gospel message into our world?

I read in the Gospels that wherever Jesus showed up, on the street or in the church, crowds gathered and people were healed, saved and set free.

Each one of you has God given or God empowered gifts and abilities.  You have hobbies and skills.  If you as a believer take them into the marketplace, people will get to know you and begin to trust you and you will win the privilege of being heard.

That is the earning the right to be heard part of being “That” Church.

You earn the right to be heard by being real - warts and all!

God is calling us not to a part time, compartmentalized Christian, but rather to be about the Father’s business full time, 24/7. 

To help us get a grip on this let’s look at Matthew 25:14-30.  “It's also like a man going off on an extended trip. He called his servants together and delegated responsibilities. To one he gave five thousand dollars, to another two thousand, to a third one thousand, depending on their abilities. Then he left. Right off, the first servant went to work and doubled his master's investment. The second did the same. But the man with the single thousand dug a hole and carefully buried his master's money.

After a long absence, the master of those three servants came back and settled up with them. The one given five thousand dollars showed him how he had doubled his investment. His master commended him: 'Good work! You did your job well. From now on be my partner.

The servant with the two thousand showed how he also had doubled his master's investment. His master commended him: Good work! You did your job well. From now on be my partner.

The servant given one thousand said, Master, I know you have high standards and hate careless ways, that you demand the best and make no allowances for error. I was afraid I might disappoint you, so I found a good hiding place and secured your money. Here it is, safe and sound down to the last cent.

The master was furious. 'That's a terrible way to live! It's criminal to live cautiously like that! If you knew I was after the best, why did you do less than the least? The least you could have done would have been to invest the sum with the bankers, where at least I would have gotten a little interest.

Take the thousand and give it to the one who risked the most. And get rid of this "play-it-safe" who won't go out on a limb.

Throw him out into utter darkness.'“As for these enemies of mine who petitioned against my rule, clear them out of here. I don't want to see their faces around here again.”

The key being 13b “Put this money to work until I come back”, which in the KJV is translated as “Occupy till I come”.

Each of us will have to give a                           personal account for the extent                       to which the gift we have received                 of Christ has actually been put to use.

This parable holds a very important key for us today.  It shows the challenge and the responsibility that all of us face.

Salvation is a gift.                        What have you done with it?

We dare not give into the temptation to simply wait for the Lord’s return.  To us, as to them, Jesus says, “Put what I’ve given you to work until I return” or “Occupy until I come”.

I pray 2010 will be the year this type of Christianity flows into “our world”. 

Friends, we need to step up our expectation for amazing things to happen.  

Moving from thinking outside the box to living outside the box! 

Just think what that servant felt when his master said to him “Because you’ve been trustworthy in a very small matter, I give you charge over 10 cities.”  (verse 17)

But for the one who simply kept his gift in a cloth, there was a harsh judgment.  In fact, even what he had been given was taken away.                                                         He was described as an unprofitable servant, standing empty-handed before his master.

As we look ahead to another year, I pray that we together will for the glory of God bring Christ into the marketplace.   

Be yourself and let Jesus love them through you!

John 4:39-42  Many of the Samaritans from that village committed themselves to him because of the woman's witness: “He knew all about the things I did. He knows me inside and out!” They asked him to stay on, so Jesus stayed two days. A lot more people entrusted their lives to him when they heard what he had to say. They said to the woman, “We're no longer taking this on your say-so. We've heard it for ourselves and know it for sure. He's the Savior of the world!”

May others be impacted by the                      consequences of our relationship                with the Lord.

The Lord wants us to take whatever He has put in our hands, as it says in the words of the parable, to “trade with” or “do business with”.  You’ve heard it said, “use it or lose it!” 

If we don’t make right choices our money, time, energies, our very lives, they will be wasted before we know what's happened.

Larry said last week that we were like a batter being mixed and that some will go to the edge of the bowl and not get mixed in.  I took that as a warning - so like a good baker I brought a spatula!  I will do my utmost best, no we will do our utmost best to ensure that not one of our fellowship is lost . 

You see, I believe that the role of a pastor is to “cause the people to inherit the land” Joshua 1:6.  I also believe that leadership should never drive the flock; they must lead by example.  And yes we need the annointing, but the anointing is a direct result of our willing obedience.  That is Revival!                                                               

The back bone of the church is ordinary people doing ordinary things.

God looks for ordinary people to do - that’s it!  And that my friends is oftentimes inconvenient.