Sermon Tone Analysis

Recap

Pray FOR

Pray WITH

Intro

Outreach can be natural

A couple of concepts stand in the way of us believing that:

1.)

The traditional role of the church in programming

2.) Pastors

3.) Diversity of communities

4.) Social awkwardness

We know outreach needs to happen because we are aware of the mandate to spread the gospel.

So how do we make outreach more natural?

Prayer starts this process, but there are some addition ideas we can apply that will help us become naturally reaching.

Close Proximity

One of the simplest ideas we can apply is that of close proximity.

If we want to share the gospel with someone who doesn’t know Jesus, we have to know someone who doesn’t know Jesus.

We have to take the time to be around them more than a few seconds a day to “know” them.

The word “Incarnation” was used to describe God’s coming into human history in Jesus.

Incarnational Living is the term we hear often in regards to our role as ambassadors of Christ in the world.

So how do we find ourselves in close proximity as the incarnation of Jesus’ love in the world?

Engage

Jesus attended parties, weddings, ate dinner with sinners, hung out with prostitutes, touched lepers, embraced outcasts, got along with the wealthy, conversed with the religious elite, and enjoyed spending time with a diverse cross-section of humanity.

Unfortunately, given the perception of the world many Christians have formed, we are finding Christians disengaging from the world and culture in an attempt to keep themselves “set apart” from culture.

But God has made it clear that He is the one who has placed us and called us and is faithful.

We can’t run from the world and expect those same people to come to our churches and be part of our families.

Two Warnings:

1.) Be aware of the temptation to engage in cultural voyeurism.

Some people express a desire to reach out, but haven’t dealt with the reality of desiring to participate in sin.

(Not underhanded sometimes, it can be self-deception that leads us there)

2.) Make sure you are the influence.

Be aware that the enemy is real and lurking!

Be intentional about the way we engage with the world.

Lets talk about ways to engage:

Learn to listen

“Once we have begun to notice, listen to, and make ourselves available for our neighbor, we can begin to understand our neighbor more completely.

Notice that relational evangelism does not begin with speaking-it begins with listening.

And it may take a very significant amount of time and attention to listen well before we have won the right to speak.”

~ Dr. Charles Van Engen (You Are My Witnesses)

Make Space For People

Have you ever noticed how often Jesus was interrupted?

Jesus never seemed bothered and never treated people like interruptions.

He made space for them.

How do we see the people in our lives?

Do we look at them as interruptions or divine appointments?

Do we order our lives in a way that enables us to respond when needs arise?

Invite God to interrupt you!

Sacrificial living

We like to have God’s favor, his blessing, his good gifts, and an abundant life.

But we don’t like the idea of paying a price for these things.

“Perhaps one of the reasons we so feebly bear the marks of Christ’s promised transforming work in our lives is that we refuse to pay such a heavy price.

We want to be delivered from our troubles instead of being delivered from our sin.

We want to be like our affluent neighbor instead of like our rich Savior.”

~ Gary Thomas (The Beautiful Fight)

Overflowing Joy

Not Happiness, JOY! Grounded in certain spiritual realities for us:

Our sins are gone

We are friends of God

The spirit dwells within

Heaven belongs to us

We are secure in God’s hands

We have the fellowship of God’s people, the church

We are given gifts of the spirit

We have the fruit of that spirit

Application & Challenge

Make time this week to have a substantial face-to-face conversation (listening session) with someone who doesn’t know Jesus.

If you are interrupted, maybe it was God arranging that listening session, how will you choose to treat interruptions this week?