The Mission Didn’t Move

Rally

207 Renovations

“Crossroads, before we get into the Word today, we need to stop and recognize what God has done among us.

Twenty-one days before our first service in 207, our prayer team began praying.

They didn't know everything that was coming.

We didn't know the theater screen would stop working. We didn't know we would discover mold and mildew in the seats. We didn't know communication would break down. We didn't know we would suddenly have to move.

But God knew.

And while what looked like opposition was developing in one place, God was preparing another place.

And then you responded.

People painted. People installed floors. Bathrooms were finished. Ceiling tiles were replaced. Lights were changed. Furniture was moved. Classrooms were built. Play areas were prepared. The building was cleaned. Sound, streaming and technology were rebuilt almost overnight.

What was supposed to be a renovation project became a worship center.

And two weeks later, here's our problem:

We're running out of room.

That's not defeat.

That's victory.

So beginning next week, Crossroads is going to two services.”

Transition

“But before we move on, there's one more victory I want to celebrate today—and this one hasn't happened yet.”

Being the Church

“One of the things we've said Crossroads exists to do is Embrace Community, Equip Disciples, and Impact the Culture.

And this week, something happened that I think we need to recognize.

Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD reached out to us because one of our community partners, High Country Elementary, has a family that needs help.

And before I even tell you what they need, I want you to understand why I'm celebrating:

Our community thought about Crossroads when somebody needed help.

That's a win!!!!

They didn't call asking us for money. They called asking, ‘Can you help us figure this out?’

Church, that's the kind of reputation I want us to have.

I want our schools to know that when there's a family in trouble, call Crossroads.

I want our neighborhood to know, call Crossroads.

Not because we can solve every problem. We can't.

But because we're going to be willing to say, ‘Let's see what we can do.’”

The Need

“Here's the situation. There's a family with three children. Mom currently requires constant care, so Dad isn't able to leave her to walk the children to school. One child has transportation through a special-needs program, but the other two—one elementary-aged and one junior-high-aged—live within the district's transportation boundary, so they don't currently have transportation to school.

The school isn't asking us for money. They're asking us to help figure out whether there's a solution.

The answer is YES!

I don't know what the solution is yet. I know who the solution is!

So we’re going to try. - Work like it depends on us, and Pray like it depends on God!

Call to Action

So if you have experience with transportation, school systems, community programs, nonprofits—or maybe you're sitting there thinking of a solution I haven't thought of—I want to hear from you.

And if you think there may be a way you personally can help, let us know that too.

We're going to work with the school and the family to figure out what is appropriate and safe.

Because Impact the Culture isn't something we put on a wall. It's something we do when the phone rings.

Transition

And with that in mind, I want you to go with me to Mark chapter 2.

Message

Mark 2:1–5 NLT

When Jesus returned to Capernaum several days later, the news spread quickly that he was back home. Soon the house where he was staying was so packed with visitors that there was no more room, even outside the door. While he was preaching God’s word to them, four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “My child, your sins are forgiven.”

Intro

Most of us are comfortable with change when we planned the change.

We call that progress.

It's different when change chooses us.

When the plan was working yesterday and doesn't work today.

When something that you thought you could depend on suddenly isn't dependable anymore.

That's when you discover whether you were committed to the plan or committed to the purpose.

Because sometimes we become so attached to the way we thought something was supposed to happen that we forget why we were doing it in the first place.

In Mark 2, four men decided they were getting their friend to Jesus.

They had a destination.

They had a strategy.

They had a plan.

Carry him to the house. Walk through the door. Put him in front of Jesus.

Pretty simple.

Until they got there.

The house was full.

And the door wasn't available.

The crowd was in the way.

Their plan had failed.

And instead of saying, “Well, there's nothing we can do,” they start looking for another way.

Isn't it interesting? Before I ever preached this message, we just talked about a family in our community facing an obstacle and somebody asking Crossroads, ‘Can you help us figure out another way?’

Crossroads, that's what I want us to understand in this season:

Our plans may change. Our methods may change. Our location may change. Our schedule may change. But the mission didn't move.

Embrace Community. Equip Disciples. Impact the Culture.

“And ultimately, all three of those come down to this: we're trying to get people to Jesus.”

Look at somebody and say “The mission didn’t move”

Title: The Mission didn’t move

Point 1

The way the planned to get into the house wasn’t going to work

So they had to pivot

The men could change their route.

They could not change their destination.

That's crucial.

The door was a method.

Jesus was the mission.

Point 1: KNOW WHAT CAN CHANGE AND WHAT CANNOT

Plans may change, but know the mission didn’t change!

Methods may change, but know the mission didn’t change!

Location may change, but know the mission didn’t change!

If the door closes but Jesus is still in the house, find another way in.

The theater was never the mission.

207 isn't the mission either.

Two services aren't the mission.

Streaming isn't the mission.

Kids ministry isn't even ultimately the mission.

All of those are vehicles through which we accomplish the mission.

Crossroads does not exist to protect a schedule, preserve a building, or defend a method. We exist to make disciples and tell the world about Jesus.

THAT WILL NOT CHANGE!

I need you to hear this now, because God may bless us in 207 so much that six months from now we're tempted to get comfortable again.

Temporary provision should never become permanent limitation

Point 2

Mark 2:4 NLT

They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus.

They couldn't get through.

Notice what the text doesn't say.

They didn't say:

“Well, I guess it wasn't God's will.”

They didn't say:

“We tried.”

They didn't take him home.

We don’t know who…but somebody looked up.

Tell somebody look up

Because before we start looking around trying to figure out what we can do, we've got to remember where our help comes from. (Psalm 121)

We look UP for direction—and then we look AROUND for what God has put in our hands.

Look up for direction. Look around for provision. Then make the next move.

They didn't take him home.

That's leadership.

That's faith.

That's creativity.

Point 2: OBSTACLES REQUIRE INNOVATION, NOT ABANDONMENT

Over the last few weeks, I've watched different people look at the problem and say, ‘Alright. What's the next move?’

A blocked path does not mean a broken purpose.

Bathrooms? Solve it.

Kids space? Build it.

Technology? Figure it out.

Internet? Figure it out.

Furniture? Move it.

Theater unavailable?

Then let's worship here.

And now capacity?

Two services.

A pivot is not a retreat when you're still moving toward the mission.

Look at somebody and say “What's the next move?”

Point 3

Mark 2:4 NLT

They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus.

Mark simply says they were carried by four men.

Nobody gets named.

Nobody gets singled out as the hero.

Four people carried one person.

Point 3: EVERYBODY HAS TO CARRY A CORNER

That sounds like Crossroads.

You don't know which one spotted the roof.

Which one climbed first.

Which one pulled.

Which one lowered him.

But they all carried something.

They couldn't do what only Jesus could do, but they could do what Jesus gave them the ability to do.

Going back to the family at the school…

We may not be the answer, but we can carry the mat to the One who is.

Now you've got two services.

That's going to require the church.

You need:

Greeters.

Kids workers.

Worship.

Tech.

Setup.

Cleaning.

Follow-up.

Parking/hospitality depending on your environment.

People attending one and serving one.

People making room.

Two services isn't something the leaders are doing. It's something we are becoming capable of doing together.

Embrace Community

Somebody has to carry a corner so people are welcomed.

Equip Disciples

Somebody has to carry a corner so children and adults can grow.

Impact the Culture

Somebody has to carry a corner so there is room for the next person who needs Jesus.

You don't have to carry everything, but everybody has to carry something.

Crossroads, I'm asking you in this next season: Which corner are you carrying?

“We don't need everybody doing everything. We need everybody doing something.”

Look at somebody and tell them “It’s time to carry something”

Point 4

Why are we going to two services?

Not merely because current members are uncomfortable.

Because you need room.

The men in Mark 2 were trying to create access to Jesus for somebody who couldn't create access for himself.

That's ministry.

The crowd had access.

The paralyzed man didn't.

Here's what's challenging about this text.

The people inside weren't bad people.

They weren't doing anything wrong.

They were there for Jesus too.

But eventually, the people who already had access to Jesus became an obstacle to somebody who didn't.

Church, we have to be careful.

Because it's possible to become so comfortable with the access we already have that we stop thinking about the people who don't have it yet.

Point 4: MAKE ROOM FOR THE ONE WHO ISN'T HERE YET

A full room can be a blessing, but if we're not careful, a full room can become a barrier.

That's why two services isn't a burden.

It's mission.

We’re creating space.

We're not adding a service because we want more work. We're adding a service because we want more room.

More room for:

The family searching for a church.

The child who needs ministry.

The marriage in trouble.

The person who hasn't met Jesus.

The person sitting at home wondering whether church has anything for them.

We make room because somebody is still trying to get to Jesus.

We aren't making room for numbers. We're making room for names.

Every empty chair is room for somebody's story to change.

The Roof - We will be inconvenienced

They literally tore up somebody's roof.

Getting one person to Jesus created inconvenience for somebody else.

That's a challenging thought.

The homeowners probably weren't saying:

“This is exactly how I hoped Bible study would go today.”

Dust falling.

Debris everywhere.

A hole in the ceiling.

And sometimes mission creates inconvenience.

Two services will inconvenience somebody.

Serving will inconvenience somebody.

Schedule changes inconvenience somebody.

Parking differently may inconvenience somebody.

Sitting somewhere different may inconvenience somebody.

Not seeing everyone you usually see at your service time may inconvenience somebody.

If inconvenience creates access for somebody to meet Jesus, it's worth it.

God turned inconvenience into increase.

Sometimes making room for somebody else's miracle will inconvenience you.

Jesus saw their faith

Mark 2:5 NLT

Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “My child, your sins are forgiven.”

Jesus saw their faith.

Not only the faith of the man on the mat.

The faith of the people carrying him.

“There are moments when your faith isn't just about what God is doing for you. Your faith helps carry somebody else into the presence of Jesus.”

That's the church.

You're praying for people who aren't here yet.

Building classrooms for children you haven't met.

Creating seats for families who haven't walked through the door.

Serving people whose names you don't know.

Giving toward ministry that will touch lives you'll never see.

That's what faith looks like when it becomes mission-minded.

Look at somebody and say “The mission didn’t move”

Closing

Crossroads, these last few weeks have shown us something about who we are.

We can pivot.

We can build.

We can solve problems.

We can rally.

We can go to two services.

And I'm grateful for every bit of it.

But none of that is the mission.

The mission is still the person on the mat.

The mission is still the family that needs Jesus.

The mission is still the child who needs to know they're loved by God.

The mission is still the broken marriage.

The mission is still the lost person.

The mission is still the disciple who needs to grow.

We're not trying to build a church people can be impressed by.

We're trying to become the kind of church that will do whatever it takes to remove unnecessary barriers between people and Jesus.

And sometimes that means walking through a door.

Sometimes that means climbing onto a roof.

Sometimes that means worshiping in a theater.

Sometimes that means turning a renovation project into a sanctuary.

Sometimes that means one service.

Sometimes that means two.

And one day, it's going to mean another move.

But the mission didn't move.

We are still here to Embrace Community.

We are still here to Equip Disciples.

We are still here to Impact the Culture.

We are still here to tell the world about Jesus.

And Crossroads, I don't know what the next obstacle will be.

I don't know what the next pivot will require.

I don't know where God will ultimately take this church.

But I know what we're going to do.

If the door is open, we'll walk through it.

If the door closes, we'll look up.

If there's a roof, we'll climb it.

If there's a mat, we'll carry it.

If there's somebody outside, we'll make room.

Because methods change.

Buildings change.

Schedules change.

Seasons change.

BUT THE MISSION DIDN'T MOVE.

So Crossroads, whatever God puts in front of us next:

We will pivot when we have to.

We will build when we need to.

We will carry our corner.

We will make room.

And we will keep getting people to Jesus.

Let's go tell the world about Jesus.

Extra Notes:

Their plan: Through the door. Their problem: The crowd. Their pivot: Through the roof. Their mission: Get him to Jesus.

Everything changed except the mission.

That's Crossroads.

Our plan: Theater Sundays, 207 midweek/kids. Our problem: Theater became untenable. Our pivot: Finish 207 immediately. Our mission: Still the same.

Now:

Our problem: 207 can't comfortably hold everyone. Our pivot: Two services. Our mission: Still the same.