Part 5: Everyone Anywhere

We are in a serious called We are family and we're looking at the nature and mission of the church in general. But also our local church and you know, God uses a number of metaphors in scripture to describe his people his family and to describe the church in to help us understand our relationship with him in and one of the the most applicable and it just easiest ones for me to understand maybe for you to is this idea of being his family I guess we look at the nature and mission of God's family. We've been actually using the mission statement for our extended family the great the Evangelical Free Church of America. And as a movement, here's what our mission is we exist. That's a glorify God by multiplying transformational churches among all people are going to talk about that all people piece today, but the kids off the series we had some friends from another Free Church in Detroit, Michigan earlier in October and they they made it clear to us another planted planted churches in the city of Detroit restore Church, especially at the church is to be God's family is to be about his glory about his glory. It's all about Jesus and then next we looked at how do you become a part of that family, you know just showing up on a Sunday morning doesn't make you part of God's family. Showing up and going to church doesn't make you a Christian repenting of your sin trust in Jesus Christ that makes you Christian that makes you part of this family and you moved from being his creation to his child and your adopted into the family thinks you're a good big brother to Jesus after this. We saw that for a couple weeks as movement. We want to plant transformational churches and is a church we desire to be transformational transformational internally as individual sing the Lord Jesus transform our lives by the power of His spirit and his word and then also to be transformational in our community if we would disappear there would be a large felt Miss. What am I looking for here? It would be safe out. There we go. Stumbling over my words, but it would be very much felt that that we want to be involved have to be salt the counter is evil and light that advances good in our community for God's glory others good in our joy today this week. We're going to narrow in on that phrase towards the end of the mission that we want to be transformation. We want to plant and multiply transformational churches among all people. So what does it look like to be a church? That's for everyone for all people but let's pray and then we're going to talk about that this morning. Thank you for the great privilege. It is to be part of your church to be a part of your family and we thank you for Jesus who adopts us into your family because of his finished work on the cross and his resurrection Lord this morning as we talked about some of these things being a church for all people. What that can be at a challenging thing. It can really poke at and even. Stirrup of maybe some of our own insecurities and prejudices and

I pray this morning though that by your spirit you would help us overcome those things and that you truly would transform us. We want to be transformational that you would transform us to have a heart for it to be representative of all people are even at Wawasee. We love you. I would pray against the enemy of servants that works and affects. You would never want to see that happen, but would rather stir strife and division interfusion instead. Let your word be clear teach me even as I speak speak through me in Jesus name. Amen.

What kind of crafts my outline as I preach into a sentence if you noticed that it's just kind of you put it all together. You have one sentence in this morning. We're going to start with a p c r that that you know that we talked about a lot but that the church is sent that the church is sent our mission statement as a local churches that we are sent to love people and invite them to follow Jesus with here's what I mean by this is our God is a missionary God. He went from and one called sir, and one reality into our world missionary think about it in perfection. I mean with with no sin in the presence of the father and what does he do Jesus God himself he puts on flushed and he steps down into his creation into a broken messed up for health. And he became one of us so that he could bring the gospel to us so that he could be the gospel for us to save us and redeem us and praying of the night before he was crucified. He actually is praying to the father and he mentions us did you know that cuz he prays for his disciples and then he says and I also pray for everyone who would believe in my name because of their witness which extends to us Jesus prayed for you the night before he was crucified and one of the things he prayed is this he said father sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. If you're a follower of Jesus Christ, you've been sent into the world to be out in among people of his final words before his Ascension. He said in Matthew 28 19 and 20 after his resurrection. He's he tells everyone he says go therefore and he tells

Greek word for Nations is the term.

It's the word that we get the term ethnicity from peoples of the world different people groups. Every ethnicity is going to be like this great Kaleidoscope of God's creativity is going to be like and then there's going to be on the face of the Earth. Fantastic. Cuts heart and he told us that means that if you look at Revelation chapter 7 verse 9 of have any size of the throne from every nation every ethnicity every tribe all tribes and peoples and just standing Before the Throne in before the land closed in white robes with palm branches in their hands. As we talked about this transformation Bing for All Peoples. Talking about everyone everywhere all ethnicities. There is no Market on the gospel. It's for everyone and as we talked about, you know, the need for transformation being for everyone. It would probably be good to recognize the day and age in which we live. Do you know we're living in a time when the gospel. Mine said they were going to look at today is more needed than ever and has more potential to advance the gospel than ever. I believe in history because God his Creation with Incredible diversity and Beauty especially among people. There's an incredible diversity of people around the globe with different languages and customs and traditions and beliefs and it's beautiful and it's a reflection of God's creativity in his glory.

The enemy has used. Chester division strife an Untold wickedness

see what what God has created to be a reflection of his Beauty. The enemy has taken and caused us in our pride and selfishness instead of recognizing that to glorify the Creator at turning people against one another. different ethnicities and languages in tongues and nations against one another

And at the enemy has used this diversity then to cosmotube Devastation conflict and suffering through demonic wickedness like racism.

Make no mistake racism is absolutely demonic. It is. To look at someone else based on the color of their skin or their ethnicity or the language that they speak.

It's demonic.

The gospel is for everyone. anywhere and I there was an article even of a of a church A Large church just this last week that they had called a new pastor to be voted on by the congregation. It was an interracial couple of the pastor was black. His wife was Caucasian and there were a handful of people in the church that stirred things up and started calling around. I'm making statements against his race and against their marriage being on glorifying to God and it was voted down by a small percentage. It didn't meet the threshold they needed.

Friends that sort of stuff has no place in the church. jokes that deal with ethnicity that makes fun of someone's ethnicity.

Absolutely, unacceptable among the people of Jesus Christ.

So when you hear it? You need to shut it down. Because it's demonic wickedness.

The gospel is for all people anywhere. And in our modern-day globalization and migration have brought some of these things to the surface in terms of some of the prejudices that we all carry with us in our hearts. And in our Spirits, the reality is everyone does come to the table with some Prejudice. It's if you can avoid it it's a certain ones through what you see the world a certain blends with which we see people among all people and for all people we need to be aware of those prejudices that we carry with us, and we need to check him at the door rather rather than just check them out the door like we need to donate it to Goodwill and get rid of it. But it takes being self-aware. And recognizing that we all carry with us some form and some degree of prejudice and it's a natural thing conceived notion or opinion about something. That's the simple definition. It's just this pre-judgement. That's where the word comes from and we have Prejudice about all kinds of things something that just inconsequential like which way should the toilet paper. Hang off the over the front or the back. Do you have maybe different Prejudice on that? But then there's also some that are absolutely life-altering and defining. That we may carry with us. You know, it runs a lot deeper than trivial things and this is where Prejudice can quickly become wickedness. As we stand in our prejudice toward other people who bear God's image and something to review a list of things here that commonly stir up or triggers some type of reaction. Even if only internally that reveals are prejudiced towards for all of us. So just just think about these things that you may have and carry some Prejudice about Maybe it's about someone's wealth. You look at someone who has more wealth than you and you immediately think something about them. Maybe it's their lack of well and their lack of an ability to hold a job until you immediately have some preconceived judgments about then. Maybe it's the personality. or their lack thereof Maybe I maybe it's the area of the country that grew up in do they grow up in the Midwest? like us Are they from the north east or the West Coast or? Are the only kind of like us and just kind of redneck.

How about their physical characteristics how they dress their weight their beauty their hair cut their tattoos about their age. Are they just old now? They're just they're so young.

What's a little deeper still there? What about their religion?

Pic of somebody with a different religion than yours or lack of religion. What's your preconceived judgement about them? How about their political party? Anybody vote for that person?

What about their nationality? What about their immigration status? About the color of their skin. What about the language they speak? Are the language they don't speak?

What about their gender? go both ways by the way to write men's and look down and be Misogynistic towards women but women can also look at men.

Put them all just a whole bunch of jerks and him all the gender that someone identifies them self ass. What about their sexual lifestyle?

When is second Josh now you're talking about things that are clearly potentially sinful according to scripture. You're right. I am. When we would I sell bones about it, right God's words very clear about using her sexuality in a way that honors and glorifies him. Marriage is for one man. One woman one lifetime. But at the same time people who don't know Jesus is maybe embraced a lifestyle outside of that. Guess what they're also created in God's image. incredibly an expressive Lee of value to him

So here's why I bring all this. If we're going to be a church, that's truly sent to love people. We got to check our prejudice at the door because our prejudice comes in and it it hinders us from really loving. It gives us an excuse to write people off cuz you know.

And we all carry presidents with us. She is to see it in your own heart of it where you need to. And learn to see people the way God does.

Made In His Image needing the restoration that only the gospel provides. and the God's design than for those of us who trusted Jesus is that we would reflect his creativity his goodness his glory and every interaction we have the man

so now that we also feel really good about ourselves.

Let's leave these things at the foot of the cross. And with our hopes are Hearts. Hopefully a little bit tender. Let's look afresh at the Mandate for the church to be a church for all people and then let's do that mandated to do according to scripture and then we're going to look at an example of a vivid one in scripture going to move fairly quickly through these. The church is sent to reach everyone. It's sent to reach everyone now that we've established, you know, we've been sent we were to be sent without prejudice were sent to love people. But but who For everyone to have an opportunity to hear and believe the gospel. We we already saw that Jesus said go therefore and Make Disciples of all Nations. It's called the Great Commission what he's commissioned us to do to reach everyone and we've already said all nations after that means ethnicities worship the entire world. God's plan was for all the nations to be blessed through him.

Everyone would have the opportunity to believe the gospel after Jesus resurrection of the disciples were still looking for the establishment of his Earthly Kingdom. But this coming of Jesus redirected their attention to their mission while they were waiting. He said in ax188 priority that you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you will be my Witnesses in Jerusalem ends of the Earth. The priority wants to start here in Jerusalem and then expand out everywhere to the ends of the Earth. Barriers, but cultural ethnic religious ones from the city to the country in the country to the city from the Jews to the Greeks. It was for everyone. We say it like this all people matter that means here near and far. We need to share them spread the gospel. But often the church that can be historically kind of slow to embrace this it was even the case then did you know that did you realize that? In fact, it was only Jesus gave this command and then and then they really left Jerusalem to the end. until what happened got sent in a lot of persecution to drive them out of Jerusalem to the ends of the Earth and that's when the gospel began to spread. Because I don't know. I mean I get it now, they're supposed to receive the Gospel, but I'm not so sure. I really want to go there. that this is just like but Prejudice is wired into us from because of our sin isn't it since then between the conflict between Jews and Greeks was? It was really profound. Major Bridges Bridgeland that Samaritan tarberry was Prince on the Samaritans receive the Gospel the Ethiopian eunuch. We're going to look at took the gospel to Africa. Peter had to receive a vision from God three times before he was willing to go into cornelius's house. But then one Cornelius a Roman Centurion trusted the gospel that change was dramatic and profound in the effects far-reaching.

Or Centereach everyone to go into the world, but it was kind of cool. Is it in that day until the world today? He seems to be at least in the places that we all live. He seems to be bringing the world to us. Modern globalization migration the Internet. It's brought the nation's.

I mean we're still sent to go but the trip is a lot shorter maybe in a lot of cases. At the completion of this mission for everyone to hear the gospel. It is not in question. God is going to accomplish that one of the ways he's accomplishing it. I believe in this day and age has is through the globalization of the world and you can be anywhere in the world in the matter of 24 hours does unprecedented in human history. And I only that but people from all over the world are migrating at an incredible Pace that didn't happen 20-30 years ago.

And so the gospel has great opportunity in this day and age.

By some estimates today two of five people in the world live where there is no local church of the Gospel witness in their language and culture.

2 out of 5 no Gospel Church Like I could probably write off about 10 within a 5-mile radius of us right now.

That's incredible. And so far what God has been doing is bringing people to the places where they can hear the gospel. And the United States we happen to live where God has sent us is moving rapidly towards becoming a land that has no majority ethnicity or single dominant culture. Did you know that?

So God has sent us to reach everyone and that means the people across the street who are like us and who are not the people in our County in our state and our country to the ends of the Earth. The church has been sent we've been sent for everyone and by the way to embrace anyone. Now it's one thing to believe. I mean, it's easy to go. Yeah, yeah.

but how about when it comes to

embracing diversity That steps on my preferences. Now it's a whole new game, isn't it? Another ballgame to truly Embrace diversity of people in our own church. Wheatley seen how the early church struggled to do that and it took persecution forgot to send them out at but they also faced internal conflicts related to diversity wants that is the Hellenistic Jews were the Greek Jews were upset with the Hebrew Jews over who is getting meals, you know, some of the widows and so next chapter 7 there were deacons appointed and but once that conflict was resolved and it was an ethnic one. What's that conflict was resolved the gospel just started when?

I got does incredible things when those things are set aside. We claim no sacred Cows as a value. Call it was he said the 1st Corinthians 9. He said to the weak. I became weak that I might win the weak in the knees because even more than this phone just read a couple of verses. I become all things to all people that I might save some. He's like there is nothing I wouldn't let go of other than the gospel in Jesus himself. If it meant more people can meet Jesus and know him especially people different than me.

We have no sacred cows. He says I do it all for the sake of the Gospel that I might share with them and its blessings friends. We need to lay down our preferences for the sake of the Gospel be willing to embrace anyone. Because God is Not partial it so there should be no partiality. No Prejudice. No discrimination segregation among God's people. We need to embrace everyone anywhere along their faith dirty, but we embrace them but we don't Embrace their sin right clearly. We still preach the gospel. We still hold to what's true. But we hold to that truth with very much grace.

tenderness and Tender Hearts knowing that if it wasn't for God's grace week 2 would be condemned to an eternity under God's Wrath.

We need to be willing to embrace anyone we talked about it last Monday. Jesus was called a friend of sinners. Why because he hung out with him so much. He was called a drunk. Why because he hung out with people who were so much.

Exclusive like I don't know. That's why that's why I can't believe they would come to me anyone. Can be saved.

I need to reach everyone anywhere wherever they're at. And I'm kind of like the old adage. So you guys were fishermen. You can't clean your fish before you catch him. Can you?

I need to be willing to embrace people who are messy. Not just messy but just different than us.

Because all people matter in God's offer of love and grace through Jesus is without prejudice all people matter because we all bear God's image. Now one of the things that comes to mind to me. Is I wonder sometimes that you know, we live in an area that generally speaking is fairly much. I can't talk today is fairly homogeneous in terms of race and ethnicity. However, do you realize that that's changing rapidly Milford zip code to get a ride, but we're also Milford in Syracuse and dynamic. I have access through to the Free Church sits on some of our resources to look at demographic Trends through website. They subscribe to report this week and since the year 2002 population of Hispanics and Latinos has risen from about 5% to 13%

I Wonder has the demographics and ethnicity of our congregation Changed by that much. So that's I think what would really represent diversity for us in terms of ethnicity is when we reflect our culture. Like I told you I have a friend riveroaks as a church in Goshen another research and I just mentioned it because I'm friends with her pastor and they have a Hispanic congregation that beat then go pick out River Oaks in Espanol. And I told them hey, if you ever think about you grow and you want to plant the church this way like we have a facility that's available. I didn't ask the elders about that. I just kind of said it.

And at the same time no for us even in our own preferences about that.

You know how might that change over time for us that we it is our things that we need to change an and sometimes it's just not even a matter of us being resistant to us it to it it can just be Give me a matter of indifference. Just not caring enough to do anything about it, you know. What can be equal is wrong? But that's created us and sent us as a church. The reach everyone anywhere to embrace anyone.

Church of Centereach everyone to embrace anyone now it is we've talked about that. Let me look with you at an example where I think this gets played out in a big way in scripture Bible Turn 2 Acts chapter 8 on the other than the reference, but you can read along with me Acts chapter 8 Now the book of Acts again, it's called acts because it's the Acts of the Apostles of the early church is the story of how the church went from a few people following Jesus and just went into a movement. And we get a glimpse of how that movement took off the next chapter 8 going to start in verse 26. So now the angel of the Lord and the Lord came to fill up. Listen to Phillip Rhys and go to the South toward the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza. This is a desert place. It gives us a clue into what that would have been like.

He's going it says there was an Ethiopian eunuch. Court official of Candace Queen of the Ethiopians who is in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship the angel supposed to fill up if you need to go south. It doesn't tell him why or what is going to happen to just us go and fill up goes and he gets there. He runs into an Ethiopian which wouldn't be modern-day Ethiopia, but probably more modern-day Sudan somebody who is probably a very different different language for sure. I probably of different. Well that says that he was the treasurer of Queen Candace and he had access to all of her treasure and wealth

He was a sew-in in a transportation. He had well, that's where I'm going. This guy was a lot different than Philip, but beyond that I think something we don't see. Is that somebody who is a Unicode emasculated themselves? What's considered? A credible Outcast and had today. they were looked upon as Socially and sexually deviant in their culture.

They weren't allowed to come into the court to worship among God's people. When they were they were the low of the low in far on the outside.

And your God tells Phillip. I just I wonder for Philip cuz he would have known these things even in God's word. There were commands about this for them in the Old Testament when Philip saw him. I kind of Wonder we talk for a moment. Google talk to him.

The eunuch he's got incredible. Well if he's not from here.

Big Al's look what happens?

You're wondering by the way, it was Deuteronomy chapter 23 verse one that said someone was the unit could not too must be cut off from the Assembly of the Lord not allowed to worship with them.

He was a god fear to some degree because he came to Jerusalem to worship the end of verse 27, but now verse 28 he was returning.

He probably got to Jerusalem. Maybe have dinner before maybe not. But he certainly wasn't allowed to come into the temple courts to worship. He was to remain outside.

People like you aren't allowed here.

But he goes and now he's going home. He was returning seated in his Chariot and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. Having a copy your own copy of scripture in that they would have been incredibly rare and again another Testament to this guy's access to well.

But I wonder a little bit too. It's it's it's incredible because I have a feeling Isaiah would have been a favorite piece of scripture for this guy. because of all the ways that he was Outcast Isaiah would have given a guy like this o Unico because and Isaiah 56 it says this let not the Foreigner who is joined them self to the Lord say Lord will surely separate me from his people and let not the eunuch say because I'm a dry tree for this is the Lord for the unit to keep my sabbaths to choose the things that please me and hold fast to my Covenant. I will give in my house and within my walls and monument and a name better than Sons and Daughters. I will give them an everlasting name. That shall not be cut off. Isaiah makes this promise that that there's coming a day when you got is going to take those who are way far on the outside and undeserving. They're going to give them a name that's greater than the name of sons and daughters are going to be adopted into the family because of Jesus. gospels for everyone especially those who are far off. Phillip Phillip go over and join this chariot

So Philip ran to him and he heard him reading Isaiah the prophet that have been common in that day for people to read scripture out loud. So it would have been weird for him to hear and reading but here's some reading Isaiah the prophet and they said Do you understand what you're reading? Music so how can I unless someone guides me until he invited Phillip to come up and sit with him? Now the passage of scripture that he was reading was this. What does CP was led to the slaughter like a lamb before its year is silence, so he opened not his mouth and this humiliation. Justice was denied him who can describe his generation for his life is taken away from the Earth. But he was reading Prophecy in the Unix had to fill up a question.

Never prayed for an opportunity to share the gospel with somebody. And if you're still up in that moment, it's like ding ding ding ding. Here we go. Because what was that? What was the end of reading about you is reading Prophecy from hundreds of years before what it just happened a few months ago that that related to Jesus.

That's what's up to it takes him where he's at in the text and he takes them straight to the Cross fixing straight to Jesus. Look at this. Philip open this house to go to work. So I left and beginning with the scripture. He told him the good news about Jesus. It is they were going along the road. They came to some water and the eunuch said he hear some water what prevents me from getting baptized.

I wonder if he just expected Philip to say well.

You're a eunuch. That prevents you from being baptized.

That doesn't happen.

It doesn't happen. I have a feeling that for the first time this guy experience the acceptance and joy and grace of the Gospel. So stop and they both went down into the water and Philip and the eunuch and he baptized him. When they came up out of the water the spirit of the Lord Church Philip away and the eunuch song No More and he went on his way rejoicing according to tradition. He's the first one then that's actually fulfill Acts 1:8 to take the gospel to the ends of the Earth. An incredibly unlikely guy. At least credited with the planting of churches throughout Africa.

friends the gospels for all people I should say just really quickly if you've trusted Jesus and you haven't been baptized. I'll ask you the Unix questions. What's preventing you from that? Super simple public activate singing I want identify as a follower of Jesus in his grace. Let us know we'll schedule it for some Sunday morning just for you. If you're the only one I'd love for you to take that act and step of faith. But for all of us, here's what we see here we see. This unit somebody who is totally different than Phil episode goes to him. He sent to him with the gospel to reach him.

And he sent to embrace him to embrace anyone because he was absolutely unlikely to be embraced.

Who is it that is sending you to this week?

Is he sending you to?

your central of people Invite him to follow Jesus with you. Father. Thanks for Jesus. Thanks for the good gifts to give us to through him and the great gift of eternal life, especially that you give us. Are you show no partiality toward us?

Or sinful. We don't deserve your blessing. We don't deserve your salvation yet you offered it to us. And for those who believe Jesus you've given to us. But I pray for us as your people that you would help us. To be a church that truly lives out the mission of being sent to love anyone. anywhere and to invite them. follow Jesus with us But I pray for those who are likely here today who has never made that decision to trust you. Would you make it clear to them? No matter what. They've done no matter what's been done to them. No matter anything. There's nothing that could separate them from your love and grace if they would turn to you in face. Open arms. You simply acknowledge your need for a savior that your sinful that you deserve God's Wrath like all of us do in our sin the recognizing that Jesus Paid the penalty for you and the cross and if you would repent which simply means to turn to change your mind believe in your heart that Jesus is Lord and confess with your lips that God raised him from the dead you will be saved as nothing to do with anything. You've done did everything to do with all that. Jesus has done. She makes that decision today. I'd love to hear about it. But we love to you and thank you for Jesus. We pray all of this.