For All People | Colossians 3:11-15

The Church is For All People

Prayer:

Lord- We are your people. These are your people. You are the Glorious One who stands above all things and who sits enthroned on the praises of your people. For eternity we will praise you for your extreme grace and kindness shown towards us. You have truly loved all people and made a way for all people to be at the center of your love. I pray that the ways we measure, judge and separate ourselves from others would be put to an end. and that we would be a church where people from all walks of life, backgrounds, shapes, sizes, colors and quarks would be loved.

Its easy to only think about people like us (in our shoes)

What glues people together?

community- commonality

Common blood, language, culture, traditions

families, tribes, nations, “peoples”

Common struggles/goals/values

enemy of my enemy is my friend

brothers in arms

affinities/identities

biker clubs, band groupies, sports teams

problem: groups for some people and against other people

Rich vs poor

Democrat vs Republican

commonality) -common belief/common goals/common values/common struggles

-family, community, nationality, political party

The church shares all things in common

culture- language, values, traditions

-white/black/mexican/korean

The church is a new people

Babel, Tongues

Philippians 3:4–11 “though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.”

ultimately, Love

forgiveness, peace, love

Colossians 3:12–15 “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.”

There are so many types of people-

every shape, size, color, variation

We live in an extremely diverse country

“the great melting pot”

racially, linguistically, culturally, economically

Just one country in one time period on earth- so many different types of people in the world

how different people were 100, 1000, 2000, 10000 years ago

so many languages, cultures, traditions and family recipes across millenia

we are all so unique

Intro:

Good Morning Church!

Pastor Taylor- great to be with you all this morning!

Core Values- 5 columns that hold up our overall purpose and mission as a church

Why are we?

Mission/Vision: Helping Everyone Find Everything in Jesus

coffee cups, stickers, t shirts, website

Aspirational (Everyone and Everything)

Inspirational (Amen!) What a beautiful thing to be a part of and give your life to!

to find and to help others find everything in Jesus

to be satisfied in him and to bring others in to taste the fruits of forgiveness, new life, peace, hope, joy, kindness, love, etc.

aspirational & inspirational

Core Values: How?

House isn’t built by thinking about it or talking about it

A house is built by hands putting real material in place- shaping it, placing it with order and intention to create a structure.

a house is built through plans and execution- how

Purpose of this series is to help us see HOW we all participate in this mission together.

how we build this house together - The House- The Church

#1 Disciples Making Disciples- Us- we are finding everything in Jesus, here as the church and the followers of Jesus.

#2 Outsiders Becoming insiders- Others- those who have not yet found Jesus in their searching, taste and see he is good for the first time

#3 For All People- Everyone- No such thing as reaching “everyone” if we are only for “some”

P1: Jesus is For All People

Matthew 24:14 “And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”

Matthew 28:19–20 “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.””

Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

look at Jesus’ ministry:

Jesus healed outcast lepers and cripples / Jesus healed the daughter of Roman Ruler

Jesus dined with the rich and the white collar/ Jesus dined with the poor and the illiterate

He was present in the synagogues among the religious/he reclined at the table with the “scum” of society

He debated with the great theological minds of the day/ he debated with the samaritan woman at the well

He prioritized little children and he spoke with “enemy” soldiers

The first eye witnesses of his resurrection were women

The first preachers of his gospel were blue-collar country fishermen

The greatest builder of his church was also the first man in history to murder a christian for being a christian

Jesus is For All People

John 3:16 ““For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

Whoever, (anyone, everyone)

Jesus is For All People

The Church is his, he established us. He is our head.

The Church is For all People

Maybe you think, Amen, duh! of course.

Maybe you’ve been in the church so long, you forgot… Problem #1: The World is NOT For All People

The church was revolutionary in it’s time

The church is still revolutionary today

In the time Jesus walked, Peter preached and Paul planted the first international churches

The world didn’t work like this…. anywhere

Go to Israel for example, social ladder:

top: pure jewish men of the tribes of Judah, Levi or Benjamin

below them: half breed Jewish men

below them: jewish women

below them: servants

below them: “gentiles”, “pagans, “Heathens”

Only certain men were allowed into temple

women in the outer lobby

non-jews outside

others, don’t even step foot near it!!

Visit a Roman city and this is the social ladder:

Top: The politicians, landowners, lords

always men

below them: citizens

also, men

below them: all other people

considered slaves or servants of Rome or else should die

in the Roman empire:

a Roman citizen could do anything to a slave or a non citizen- anything and legally get away with it

A non Roman citizen had no access to roman courts, the justice system, etc

a Roman citizen could be put to death, but only by beheading, where as other criminals would be killed by crucifixion or other terribly gruesome manners for the sake of shock and awe

to the Romans, the gods favored the powerful, the rich, the brave, the bold

gods did not care for the poor

gods do not care for orphans, widows

gods want to be entertained and impressed

“I thank God that I was born Greek and not barbarian, freeman and not slave, man and not woman” - Plato

Jesus is for all people

The Church is For all People

The world is for not

Look back at your HS experience

jocks, nerds, party kids, punk rockers, etc

pressure, bullying, groups, clubs, cliques

Look at prisons

colors, tattoos

Look at politics

choose your side

Paul says of the church,

Colossians 3:11 “Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.”

Transition:

The Church was and is revolutionary

The Church is the first and only place for all people

Because Christ Jesus is for all people

Problem #2: The Church likes the idea of “all people,” not the practice

think what “All People” encompasses:

races, nations, languages, cultures

We would love to reach all language groups in the world, not a reality.

what this means practically:

1) We want to be a place where a person from Turkey, Japan, Mexico, Texas, New York and Mesquite, NV can join our fellowship and thrive as equal members

2) nobody has to be more “Nevadan” to be at this church

ages, social classes, interests, education, opinions, experiences, background

“all people” means “all People”

People you naturally click with, vibe with, BFF’s (peanut butter to your jelly)

People you can’t stand! Just annoy you, frustrate you, confuse you, drain you. (oil to your water)

The Church is made up of every shape, color, size and flavor of christian

People who are quiet, people who won’t stop talking

People with diesel trucks, people with EVs

People with boots, people with flip flops

People who sob and cry, people who are stoic as a statue

People who like hymns, people who like contemporary, people who just don’t like music

People who are soft and squishy, people who are abrasive and direct

People who are gossips, people who are complainers, people who are team players, people who are selfish, people who are proud, people who are insecure, people who are super serious, people who don’t take anything seriously

after all, if the church is For All People

We could just as easily say, The church is For All Sinners

The Church likes the idea of “all people,” not the practice

We naturally gravitate to people like us, easy for us

If you haven’t been hurt by another member of the church yet, stick around, you will

If you haven’t had a difficult personality at your community group, stick around, you will

saints/sinners x2 = problems

How then? For All People…..easier said than done!

Identity over everything

Colossians 3:11 “Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.”

But Christ is all

sufficient identity (enough)

Sole identity (only)

Letter to Diognitus

“Christians are indistinguishable from other men either by nationality, language or customs. They do not inhabit separate cities of their own, or speak a strange dialect, or follow some outlandish way of life. Their teaching is not based upon reveries inspired by the curiosity of men. Unlike some other people, they champion no purely human doctrine. With regard to dress, food and manner of life in general, they follow the customs of whatever city they happen to be living in, whether it is Greek or foreign. 

And yet there is something extraordinary about their lives. They live in their own countries as though they were only passing through. They play their full role as citizens, but labor under all the disabilities of aliens. Any country can be their homeland, but for them their homeland, wherever it may be, is a foreign country. Like others, they marry and have children, but they do not expose them. They share their meals, but not their wives.  

They live in the flesh, but they are not governed by the desires of the flesh. They pass their days upon earth, but they are citizens of heaven. Obedient to the laws, they yet live on a level that transcends the law….”

Identity- we have identities that need to be revalued

Identities get in the way of relationships

I’m too old to…

I’m too blue collar to…

I’m too white, too mexican to…

or are you just not christian enough?

are you christian enough to join a group of people you have nothing in common with other than christ?

are you christian enough to talk to that person in your broken spanish or english?

are you christian enough to be friends with that hippy? that hipster? That redneck?

Your identity in Christ over every other identity

only christ unites all people to himself and to one another.

2. Levels the playing field- humbles proud, exalts humble

all sinners, all saints

Ephesians 2:12–13 “remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”

Revelation 7:9–10 “After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!””

nobody can boast

All People vs All Identities

many churches and christians think that in order to be for All People we need to affirm All Identities

Affirming of idolatry and living lies vs loving

3. Practicing what we preach

Colossians 3:12–13 “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.”

shown mercy, show mercy

as he has done for us, do to one another

WWJD

What good is our faith without love?

Conclusion: For All People…… what, for all people? Love for all people.