Value 3 - Outward Focused

Two Passages

Matthew 16:18 “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

John 4:31–35 “Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” So the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought him something to eat?” Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest.”

Two Illustrations

A battle

A harvest

Similarities

You must move off the base to accomplish the mission.

It takes sacrifice and work to accomplish the mission.

What Keeps Churches from Being Outward Focused?

Contentment with the current community.

A focus on the community and not the mission.

Over programming to satisfy the community.

Disdain towards the lost.

A sense that we cannot reach the community.

A refusal to look at reality.

A lack of workers.

Matthew 9:37–38 “Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.””

What Must We Do?

Be committed to the mission.

Make decisions that are outward focused.

Be willing to get on the front lines.

Be willing to be uncomfortable.

Hold on to the promises:

The gates of Hell will not prevail.

God has prepared a harvest for us.