Eat

Eating Contests: [Cue Photos] Hotdogs, Crawfish. Onions. Fruitcake. Mayonnaise.

Transition: [CUE BLESS SLIDE] People love food. Cultures, societies, families, and all have assigned value to food and the practice of eating.

Missional Leadership

Before I define specifically missional leadership. Story: Growing up trained to be a missional leader/pastor. Watch, Learn, Listen, Adapt. I had to. What I didn’t know then was God was preparing me for a life of ministry in various cultures. I would watch, learn, Listen, adapt everywhere I went. As a kid, growing up, and as an adult.

Recap: Eyes to see the places and people God is calling us to Bless. [CUE SLIDES] 1. Begin with Prayer. (21 days of prayer) 2. Listen. Today…3. Eat. (Missional Eating) describe it.

Missional Eating

Jesus and Missional Eating

Matthew 9:9–10 ESV

9 As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him. 10 And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples.

Eating especially with people is actually really important. Take note of what Jesus is doing, His posture, His attitude. He is reclined, relaxed, and settled in. Indicating He isn’t watching the clock.

Jesus illustrated and recognized the importance of eating together. Most of us remember the healing, teaching, doing miracles, praying, walking on water, dying on the cross. But did you ever notice that part of how Jesus saved the world was by…eating?

First miracle performed at a wedding feast.

He fed 5000 people on a hill in the countryside

The night before his cruxificxion, he ate a meal with his closest friends.

After his resurrection, he shared breakfast on the beach with his disciples.

When Jesus himself wanted to explain to his disciples what his forthcoming death was all about, he didn’t give them a theory, he gave them a meal. (N.T. Wright)

Eating was a big deal in Jesus’ culture. Even though our culture is filled with fast food drive-thrus filled with cars with one person where the person eats the meal by themselves driving down the road, we still grasp the value of sharing a meal with someone. But back then, the value of a meal was even more culturally significant that it is today. Eating with someone means you deem them valuable, worthy to you. You give them the most precious commodity you have, your time! Who you eat with is a statement of who you love. Not a business meeting over food. I’m talking about who you dine with. Who you “recline” with.

That is why it made the religious people so mad. Because Jesus frequently “dined” and “reclined” with the lowest despised people of his day. Politicians, Tax Collectors, and Sinners. Respectable people don’t eat with “those” types of people.

Matthew 9:11–13 ESV

11 And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Pharisees “murmured” or “muttered” or “grumbled”-Behind back, not face to face

Going back to last few weeks.

They saw things with their eyes, but they didn’t really see. They had come to believe that peopel who were different than them were not worthy of their presence.

They didn’t do a good job of listening to the situation, or they might have heard and understood what Jesus was doing. Or recognized what Jesus was doing as similar to some of the ways God had spoken and taught before.

Jesus-I eat with them, because they need me. “How many multitudes of broken hearts, sin-sick souls” who need to be eaten with?”

Go and learn what this means… “I desire mercy and not sacrifice.”

The Pharisees were all-stars at performing religious rituals, but while they were too busy keeping all the rules, they were ignoring the poor, the vulnerable, the marginalized. As they avoid interacting with sinners, they will have no opportunities to show mercy. Therefore, the rules that prohibit interacting with sinners, in fact are an abuse and manipulation of the law, used to justify never caring for the poor, widow, orphan, sick, and lost.

The tension between Pharisees and who Jesus ate with is not an isolated incident.

Luke 7:34–35 ESV

34 The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ 35 Yet wisdom is justified by all her children.”

Jesus wasn’t a drunkard. But he did dine and recline with the people who needed the savior. Each time he ate with someone, you can see Jesus eating on mission to help people take steps toward God.

YOU and Missional Eating

Many friendships are formed around the table. Much of fellowship occurs around a table. Small groups happen in homes around dining or coffee tables. There is just something different that happens around a meal.

What of the coolest things about this method of Jesus is it isn’t adding anything new to your life. It is simply taking what you already do, and then leveraging your breakfast, lunch, or dinner to help others take steps toward God.

I have said this before…”the American Christian’s home is the most under utilized piece of God’s property” for the mission. (CUE Party with the Pastor) At this point in our churches size and growth…I am having a super hard time keeping up with everything and everyone.

“When we invite friends for a meal, we do much more than offer them food for their bodies. We offer friendship, fellowship, good conversation, intimacy, and closeness. When we say, ‘Help yourself…take some more…don’t be shy…have another glass of tea…” we offer our guests not only our food and drink but also ourselves.” (Henry Nouwen)

Application: [Cue EAT Graphic]

There is a difference between hoping we bless the community and blessing the community. And yet so many of us get stuck in hoping people take steps toward God.

We began earlier on with a card that we asked you to write down who or where God was asking you to BLESS. We asked you to begin by praying, and listen. And now we are asking you to take that neighbor, family member, co-worker, friend. Maybe it was a place like a nursign home, or apartment complex, restaurant or bank staff, and BLESS THEM. Invite that person to eat with you or make arrangements to share a meal with that person.

Excuse #1: I don’t like to have people in my home.

Excuse #2: I wouldn’t know what to say.

Excuse #3: I just don’t have time

“Sharing meals together on a regular basis is one of the most sacred practices we can engage in as believers. Missional hospitality is a tremendous opportunity to extend the kingdom of God. …If every Christian household regularly invited a stranger into their home for a meal once a week, we would literally change the world by eating!” ( Alan Hirsch and Lance Ford)

In someone’s barn drinking a diet coke. It could be sharing a cup of coffee at the coffee shop that used to exist. It could be at waffle house with someone who has had really tough health and employment battles. It could