Beyond Borders

Everywhere, Everyone, Everything

Good morning! Last week we finished our series on Foundations it all begins with me. From now until Easter we are going to be tapping into Beyond Borders, Everywhere, Everyone, Everything. This is going to be a challenge not only for us as Christians and challenging our faith but for us as a church challenging our make up and our direction. We are going to look at the cost of going beyond borders, the spiritual cost, the physical cost on us, the opportunity cost as well as the story of love. One thing I have learned in study is that God is not just looking for right now but He is in our tomorrow and our today. He sees beyond our circumstances and is working even when it doesn’t feel like He is. We have a tendency to try and see what is happening or make something that isn’t to be there. The problem comes in when we focus on what we see and not what God is asking us to do. It’s like the corn fields on either side of the property. There are 2 times a year when we can see something happening. They day they plow and plant the day they harvest. Through the growing period we don’t see much. Unless we leave and come back we don’t see the growth but its happening little by little and one day the crop is ready for harvest. Our mission is Everywhere, Everyone, and Everything. It’s not just one people group or one area but all the world. Mark 16 we have a great passage that is describing the mission of God and how we as a church should step into it.

Mark 16:15–18 “And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned. These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages. They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.””

Lets first of all deal with somethings. The mission of God has not changed and the mission of the church should remain the same. Its still about people, redemption, and discipleship. This should be the business of the church. and when it is the blessings and promises of the Lord flow through our church and into individual lives. Those blessings however do not flow so we can hoard them and be “full” but to be a sending church, to look outwardly and focus on the mission not the plunder. The second thing we must look at is this verse about snakes and poison. The notes in the footnote of my bible say it like this.

“Picking up snakes or drinking poison or other such unusual or extreme actions is not to be made into a ritual or practiced in any fashion  in order to prove one's spirituality. These promises apply to Christ's followers who encounter different kinds of serious dangers in the process of fulfilling the Great Commission given by Christ (v. 15).  It is a sin to test God by deliberately initiating or exposing oneself to foolish and unnecessary dangers”

So we realize we don’t just go around playing with venomous snakes or drinking poison to prove our “Spirituality.” Thats what we call dumb!!! Now that we cleared that up .  Let’s look at the verse in the context of Borders and going beyond them. I would have to say that Jesus was very clear to his disciples. They were to go into all the world. When a person from that age were to look at the entire world They would have seen more than a geographical picture but one of looking beyond what they could see with their natural eye but things that were unknown to them. Jesus really was commanding them to go everywhere they could see and sense. Preach the good news to everyone. It’s not just to a certain people it really is everyone. Not a single person left out. We can not say we are about them mission and business of God if we are wiling that any perish and never hear the message of Jesus. It is a picture that there is not one single person who God wants to perish. Let me tell you a story of a Province in China called the Yunnan Province. This province is a 14 hour flight to Beijing then a 3.5 hr flight from Beijing to Kunming from there its a 3 hr bus ride into the mountains of a small town of around 1 million people. The town is remote and a group of 16 Americans were the largest group of foreigners ever seen in the area. They were starting a coffee shop in the town and its the only coffee shop in the town of 1 million people. Actually is the only foreign owned business in the town. While the west has no hold on this place the town is developing a taste for coffee. So when the people come in for a cup of joe, they build relationships with the team and get an opportunity to hear about Jesus. The owners found out there around the mountains of the Provicne were coffee plantations. After a little research the team discovered that 90% of all coffee beans in china were from this area. Let me explain something here that you can’t just go wherever you want in country you are to register and let them know what the point of your visit is. Can you imagine a coffee owner realizing that coffee is grown around the mountain and if a gym were to have opened or a restaurant there would have been no access but because it was a coffee shop there is a reason to go into the Provence. It was 1852 and a French man came to the area to share Jesus but brought with him 2 coffee plants. He found the mountain environment perfect for coffee growing so he taught the locals how to handle the plants and harvest them. One of the coffee plants brought by the Frenchman is still producing beans to this day. If the missionary in 1852 would not have gone there would be no coffee for this team to have access and would not be able to share the good news with this people. Let me quickly tell you of Lucky was a young girl who came into the shop. She met with the team leaders wife and got to know her. They talked about Jesus, may times Lucky said that Jesus was nice for Americans but it wasn’t for her. The team leaders were expecting a baby and they felt strongly that they wanted to deliver the baby in the area they were to be in. When the time came for the baby to be born a Western midwife was brought in and Lucky came to help her American friends. This however took a turn, the baby was born without an issue but the mother began to hemorrhage. There was no hospital and the nearest health clinic was a days travel away. The western midwife was helpless with no concept of the language. Everything fell to lucky to help. The midwife needed medication and an IV or mom would not survive. Lucky began to call everyone she knew. Everyone said no. As the situation continued to unfold it became dire. The team member was bleeding out and Lucky decided to do something she had never done. She prayed. She asked God to intervene and to help her. So she picked up the phone after praying called a person who had previously said no and he agreed to come he brought meds and an IV the new moms life was spared. And for the first time in her life Lucky thought maybe the GOd fo the Americans wasn’t just for the Americans. A few weeks later as the new moms was back in the states for treatment Lucky arrived in the coffee shop amidst the sound of grinders and coffee brewing a team member led lucky in prayer. Lucky is the second member of the first church in this Provence in country. This missionary the Frenchman in 1852 had no lasting fruit of spiritual growth he probably died feeling like a failure but it was the answer to prayers he prayed 166 years later that lucky meet Jesus. Fruit takes a while to grown.

However based on this scripture we do realize that not everyone who hears the message will accept it. We know that there are those who will reject it. We can not assume that we will see all brought to Christ no thats not the promise, thats not even what Jesus told us to do. He did not tell us to expect every person to be saved but to go and proclaim it and those who accept we should teach them to obey all that Jesus commands. There are signs that should follow us. These are not for the benefit of those in church even though we will see faith built. However they are for the unbeliever. So let me clearly say this in love. If you are afraid of the move the spirit and the manifestation of the Spirit of God because people will not understand it then that is in fact going against the whole of scripture. These signs are for the unbeliever. They are there so people will know that this is real and not phony baloney. The problem comes just like in anything when a gift is misused or misplaced and it can cause harm but that does not mean we don’t operate in those things or stop praying for them. We must learn to walk in the Spirit and not be afraid of what it looks like. Will we see crazy yes we will. However that doesn’t mean its all bad. It means that we must deal with that on a case to case basis. If you are going to take the Gospel or good news of Jesus into the world you are going to need signs and wonders. You can see it in the arc of scripture from the beginning of scripture God used signs and wonders to fulfill His mission and even at times confuse peoples. There has to be a call to trust and obey. The problem with western christianity is we try and force everything through the lens of our understanding instead of the flow of God’s Spirit and the truth of the gospel. We water things down because well there is to much to unpack or pepole don’t understand so we wont go there at all. Sorry thats not real. We must speak truth with grace and be able to call what is sin sin and see the power and the presence of God active in our churches our homes, our lives and we can be witnesses of who Jesus is and what He has done.

It really is Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.””

I want to take some time this morning and really break down this verse of scripture. If you have been around church for any length of time especially if it is a pentecostal or charismatic movement. We have a tendency to use this verse and we love the part about the “POWER” of the HS. If you study it out that power really is a super power but its not to fight crime, or be robin hood but to tell others about who Jesus is and what He is doing. Its a power to go and share, go and proclaim the goodness of God. The mercy of God and see the world begin to change. So I want to take this and lets really breakdown some different concepts of these areas. We are called everywhere to everyone and it cost everything. So lets take a look at what I call the Hub of the Mission of God. In the very center and the opening to the rest is the area of our world. That is our Jerusalem. Its the neighborhoods, our city, and the homes we live in. It’s people like us, who look like us, speak our same language, have our same beliefs and ideologies. Its the people we are comfortable with. We are ok with sharing Jesus with these people. We are usually of the same background or close so we can share ideas and plans. It is important that we start with our home, our city, our immediate family. That is where the disciples first began was with jews and those who were around. The problem comes in when we go no further. We stop there or we don’t attempt to venture out. God loves the people of our city just as much as he loves those halfway around the world. However that is not where scripture stops. I have heard some people say that yes its great we do missions around the world but what about our city. I agree we must dive into the city we must meet the needs right here at home. but scripture doesnt stop at our city, it branches out to our neighbor adjacent. We see people who are like us but maybe not directly related to us. They may be of the same faith or the same ideas but a tad differnt or they may be another community over. Or those within our state. This is our neighboring cities, its an area we can see and even visit from time to time. When you go to Disney you walk down main street to the hub. Main street is like your walk into Christ you are enamored by all the sights the sounds the smells are the things that make it amazing. Main street however is not the end its only the beginning and it leads you to the central hub. This is the place where you can go anywhere from Tomorrowland to frontier land from liberty square to adventure land. You can make your way out of the hub on many different pathways. The hub is the central portion of our journey this is where we must decide to you zig or zag do you choose to walk left or right. The hub is the center of the park just as in our life the hub is truly the mission of God. It can take you anywhere to a place familiar or a place we have never been. just beyond the hub at Disney are the entrances to other lands. You can see them from the hub you can sense where the path is going. You can’t however see whats beyond that. The mission of God is Jerusalem Judea. You must understand that Judea is able to be seen its close by therefore its comfort as well. You don’t have to put in much effort and the truth is most christians stop at this point. We are ok with others and those in our circle but its the next group that really bothers us. However we are not usually ok with uncomfortable. The next region Jesus calls his disciples to was Samaria. You must understand something Samaria was the red headed step child. Jews wanted nothing to do with them. They would go around Samaria even though it was longer. Why because they felt as if they were above them. Who do you feel doesn’t deserve the love of Jesus. Who do we walk right by instead of bandaging their wounds. Its very clear that throughout scripture we see a call to everyone. Lets just be real for a second. Jesus when he was having his last supper with his disciples. He washes their feet. Do you realize that Judas feet were washed just like John’s Judas was going to betray them yet Jesus washed his feet. There is a level of uncomfortable we must be ok with following Jesus. We tend to say well they don’t deserve it or they did wrong how can they be saved. Lets stop here and put it into a context we can see today. There is a man named Jason Bradley DeFord who most know as Jelly Roll. He is a singer songwriter who if we are all honest was not on our bingo card to be a voice of Christianity. Yet not long ago he in his grammy speech said this.

I know they're going to try to kick me off here, so just let me try to get this out.

First of all, Jesus, I hear you, and I'm listening, Lord. I am listening, Lord.

Second of all, I want to thank my beautiful wife. I would have never changed my life without you. I'd have ended up dead or in jail. I'd have k*lled myself if it wasn't for you and Jesus. I thank you for that.

I thank you for my label, Broken Bow. Country Radio, baby, what's up? Republic, John, and Nelly, we did it, baby. It was a time in my life, y’all, that I was broken.

That’s why I wrote this album. I didn’t think I had a chance, y’all. There were days that I thought the darkest things. I was a horrible human.

There was a moment in my life when all I had was a Bible this big and a radio the same size and a six-by-eight-foot cell, and I believe that those two things could change my life. I believe that music had the power to change my life, and God had the power to change my life.

And I want to tell y’all right now: Jesus is for everybody. Jesus is not owned by one political party. Jesus is not owned by no music label. Jesus is Jesus, and anybody can have a relationship with Him.”

I love you, Lord.”

Lets be real for a moment. If you would have told me 5 years ago when He first hit the music industry big that this dude would become a voice of God id laugh you right out of the room yet here we stand We as christians are uncomfortable why because it doesn’t make sense in our finite minds that God could use someone like that. Well news flash he has done it before and He will do it again. Samaria is not easy its not one that we can be ok with but we have to be why because its the gateway to the ends of the earth. To see the EOE we must see Samaria know Jesus. Beyond Borders lets get real crazy for a minute beyond borders is not a political statement its not a run for office or to position us for better things. It is not about shoving idealogies down peoples throats but it is a call to action. It is a call to love others. It is a call to go and see the world changed.

It is the story in Luke 10:25–37 “One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: “Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus replied, “What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?” The man answered, “ ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ” “Right!” Jesus told him. “Do this and you will live!” The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied with a story: “A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road. “By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side. “Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, ‘Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here.’ “Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked. The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.” Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.””

The story of the good samaritan is one of call to go beyond what we expect and see to what we know to do. I love Jesus last line. Go and do the same. We must not try and attempt to control the outcomes but offer ourselves to the work of God. We can’t make the wind blow or the river rise but we can sense it and see it. The business of God is the purpose of Jesus come to earth. Its about about bringing in the harvest. The harvest is plentiful or ripe and ready. We often associate this verse with people coming into our churches but its really about people ready and available to have someone share the Gospel with them. We miss it when we assume we will grow the church the church was not meant to b a single building or even a specific gathering but it was meant to be a body of believers who carry the mission of God to the world. Our pipeline is not converts and filling seats but our reach is as far as we are focused. If we turn to the beaten man and walk by because we don’t have time or we should focus on those who can give back then we have missed the call and will be a church that in the light of eternity will have failed. If we are like the temple assistant who sees the man but keeps walking we will focus on the matters at hand because well the matters of the work of God are important. You are right the work of God is vital…but the work of God is this man. We must be willing to go beyond comfort to go beyond what we can see and those who we feel deserve Jesus to be willing to disciple walk through and see the harvest brought in. We must must look beyond the borders to see. So today the altar is simple yet impactful. The altar is one that will change the trajectory of our church. It will change the heart behind it all.

Altar

1.) Salvation you need your wounds bandaged you have been beat down and thrown to the side 2.) You are the like the priest and the temple assistant you see the man but you are ok with the person coming behind you because well you don’t have time or they don’t deserve your mercy 3.) You are saying PZ I want to carry out the mission of God but I am stuck between two cornfields how do I carry out the mission of God. ASK HIM TO REVEAL 4.) You are living life on mission but you know there is more God is calling you to. Come to the altar and seek the Lord let him Show you.