From the Sanctuary to the Streets

We live in a post-Christian nation.

This has been the case for many many years but I think it is important to understand where we are in 2021. Generally speaking the culture around us looks more different than the Bible. There is also no longer a general sense that someone is “Christian” just because they live in our great nation. Fortunately, people no longer claim to be something they know nothing about or do anything with.

We live in a post-modern world.

This is where what some call reason and logical thinking is no longer the highest source of truth. It is important but not the final authority.

Being a Christ follower will only get harder.

I believe our younger generations, Gen Z in particular (AKA Screeners), and those below them already being called Gen Alpha.

Bright days are ahead for the Church. Maybe?

Even though the first two are true I see very bright days ahead for us. Yet, there is question mark because it will be up to us who call Jesus King, on whether they are bright.

We get to choose the future of the church for generations to come.

We cannot let the good get in the way of the better.

This is the point of Hebrews. It is what I hope came across last week and every week during this series.

We must keep seeing Jesus.

Whenever we stop seeing, seeking, and hearing Jesus we will fall astray. It may look like apathy, cynicism, tiredness, and wanting to throw in the towel.

Jesus’ doesn’t change.

Our world has changed. This pandemic has changed us. As much as we want to go back to way things were over a year ago it is impossible. Unless we figure out how to be “Back to the Future” and then I am not sure I would want to go forwards or backwards.

Verse 8 which we love

We need to take Jesus to the streets.

In fact this is where he is most comfortable. Jesus was never meant to be a Sanctuary only experience. The mission of the church is to take Jesus and live Him out in such a way that monday through saturday it makes a difference.

Money and sex are kept in proper perspective.

The way of the world is to highlight things over Jesus. Sometimes, hear me: I believe we have done similar things UNINTENTIONALLY, when we fight the culture battles which need to be fought we also lift up the sin to a status above Jesus. However, as a Christ-follower there are things which are not appropriate, wrong, and contrary to who Jesus is and what He says about us.

This is why we believe sex is a wonderful and wonderfully powerful thing is to be experienced fully only in marriage. A marriage between a man and a woman.

We believe that money is not the end all but instead a servant to the Kingdom of God.

Love of others is supreme.

Why? Because of who Jesus is and what he did for us. We can love others because He first loved us.

We show radical hospitality.

To those who are different than us. To those who are like us. To all. Rosaria Butterfield a feminist lesbian was moved to know who Jesus and change her lifestyle because someone invited her over for dinner, each and every week. Maybe I need to preach more on this, Kingdom Hospitality, so we get a great picture of what it means. Through these weekly meals, the relationships formed, and the loving by these individuals she started to realize who Christ was calling her to be.

You are never alone.

Jesus is always with us. If he is always with us then we need not worry about whether we measure up to the standards of the world. Our kingdom is not of this world. Are we living like that? John says it this way, “Greater is He that is in you than he who is in the world”.

We follow & lead differently.

We can submit joyfully to our leaders in the church, for I believe in this passage this is the context, showing that we don’t have to exercise our “rights”. In so doing we show that we live in another kingdom.

Leaders, especially myself, need to realize we also are not the end all be all. I will give an account of everything I do, how I did it, and the words I used to do it.

Our kingdom is out of this world.

The kingdom/city we receive as we remain faithful is nothing this world can give us.