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The Provocative Church-Evangelistic Community (6 of 6)

By Charlie Vensel | June 14, 2008

NOTE: This Sermon Series is based on Graham Tomlin’s Book, The Provocative Church, and a sermon series done by Rev. John Holland at New Covenant Anglican Church in Oviedo, FL.

In the weeks of this series entitled The Provocative Church we have seen that evangelism is most effective when we create desire and provoke questions among the unreached. As St. Peter said, “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” (1Peter 3:15 NIV) Or in the words of Blaisé Pascal, “Make the Christian Faith attractive, make good men wish it were true, and then show them it is.” We’ve also seen that evangelism means showing and saying the good news of God’s kingdom arriving in Jesus. His loving lordship must be both demonstrated and declared. God has returned to rule this world through his Son and now in the Church through the Spirit.

This understanding of evangelism means there is a reciprocal relationship between evangelism and discipleship, discipleship and evangelism; like the moisture that evaporates from the warm oceans into the clouds, falls as precipitation upon the earth, and runs its course to rivers and lakes and back the ocean again. The same is true of evangelism and community, community and evangelism. A child grows into an adult, and a mature adult expresses the best of a child: whole-hearted trust, joyous play, unconditional love and inquisitive imagination. The one leads to the other and back again, like the loop of the lasso. So let’s remind ourselves first of the ways evangelism leads to community.

We provoke questions among the unreached by living public, Christian lives. As the reading from Leviticus reminds us, Yahweh is our God, and he has called us apart to be his people. Therefore, we must be a holy people, those who are ever becoming more like Jesus, more human and godlier at the same time. For questions to be provoked, Christian life must be public. We live, and work and play and eat among the unreached. We rub shoulders with the lost. We must be friends. We choose friendship and all that it means for re-ordering our lives.

And when the questions are asked, we are a people who give honest answers and tell the truth about our stories. We see this rather plainly in the Gospel lesson. The man born blind has an encounter with Jesus and his whole life and world are re-colored. The difference is obvious, and he is quizzed. He answers the questions with a simple statement of fact. He tells the story of what happened to him.

That is what we do. We give the reasons for our holiness. We tell the stories of our redemption. One of the blessings of sharing our redemption stories in community is that we are reminded and prepared to tell that story with the lost ask. “All I know is that I once was blind, but now I see.”

Offering our reasons for holiness and telling our stories eventually open the door for sharing THE story. I would love for each and every one of you to be ready to tell the Jesus story at a moment’s notice, but I also know that the Spirit especially gifts some in the church to share the gospel. That’s one of the reasons why the church creates opportunities for saying “Jesus is Lord.” If you read a little farther in John 9, you’ll find that Jesus sought out the man born blind and told him who the Son of Man was. The man fell and worshiped Jesus. The church must do the same; we seek out the lost and introduce them to Jesus.

That we have a regular Sunday service gives you the opportunity to invite your friends who are asking questions to come and hear THE story, the good news of Jesus’ victory. And when we live holy lives, give our reasons and tell the story, people come to faith and worship. Evangelism leads to community. The clouds draw the moisture up. The child matures, the lasso loop gets bigger.

And the mature adult is child-like. The clouds pour rain. Community leads to evangelism. The kind of society that Paul described in Romans 12 is deeply attractive: sacrificial living, humility and equality of spiritual gifts, sincere love, open-handed generosity, hospitality, forgiveness in place of revenge or resentment, family affection, blessed enemies, peaceful lives, rejoicing and weeping at the right times, everyone honored.

But remember to whom Paul wrote and how he wrote chapter 12. At the outset of the book, Paul said the gospel is the power of salvation for Jews first and equally for Gentiles. Talk about naming the white elephant! A few years before Paul wrote the letter, the Jews had been expelled from Rome, leaving the young church comprised of Gentiles alone. When the Jews were allowed to re-enter the city, the religious, political, social, and economic tensions ran higher than the seven hills.

But in the community of Lord Jesus, all are on equal footing. The gospel unveils God’s saving justice, his covenant faithfulness. He has turned away wrath by Jesus’ death. He has atoned for sin. He has brought new life, the life of the age to come. All those who believe are right with God, no matter your former religious background. All those who believe are in Abraham’s family, regardless of social or economic standing. All those who are baptized have left the reign of sin through death behind. They have said no to Caesar as Lord and his false gospel of peace. They have said yes to Jesus as Lord and the peace, joy and love he gives.

Preciously these kinds of folks, those with whom we would not associate normally much less share meals as family, are the ones who will share the community described in Romans 12. They will show up the powers of this age and bear witness that the kingdom of God is here in part and on the way fully.

Or to express it in our terms, when Hutus and Tutsis forgive and worship together because of Jesus, we know the world is waking up to the dream of the kingdom. When the young take out their earphones to listen to the stories of the old, then you know. When black and white South Africans eat and laugh together because of the truth and reconciliation of the cross, we know the world is waking up to the dream of the kingdom.

When Jewish and Palestinian Christians joyfully rub shoulders at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, then you know. When the old money of Littleton and the great-grandchildren of outlaws speak the peace, when the east and west sides of division pass the potatoes in each other’s homes, when the poor of Englewood find dignity along with the rich of Ken Caryl Ranch who helped them get back on their feet, when the abusive learn how to love, when the abused learn how to forgive, then you’ll know you’re waking up to the dream of the kingdom right here in our own church. This kind of community is provocative; it is evangelistic.

Though certainly not the most experienced or qualified, I’m no stranger to church planting. I led a group out of an apostate church to form an AMiA congregation. I concentrated my studies in seminary in church planting. I worked for one of the premier church plant coaching firms in the world. I’ve read all the books. I’ve served in a church plant in my last city. And, I find myself again, in a very young church with a very similar background to my own. I’m no expert, but I’m no stranger. With that said, I believe I can say that there are a lot of reasons why a church might wish to grow. There are a lot of strategies, many proven, that will help a church to grow, but not all of them are rooted in proper motivation.

Take, for instance, a church who wants to grow to validate its members’ hard work; the week in and week out hard work that goes into putting on a regular Sunday service. When I look back on my days in Jacksonville as we were coming out of the ECUSA, and before seminary, our desire to grow was primarily for us to have a place of regular worship in the Anglican tradition. We kept on trying things, believing that at some point, our faithful stand for the Gospel would pay off with enough members to find our own facility.

We tried so many different things that you could not tell who we were week to week. “Are they Episcopalians? Are they Pentecostals? Are they contemporary? Are they traditional? Are they Presbyterians? Are they inwardly focused or outwardly focused?” Those are just a few of the observations I can make in hindsight.

We talked a lot about reaching the lost of our neighborhoods, but we spent all our time trying to convince all the other Episcopalians to join us. We talked a lot about outreach, but most in the group were concerned that having people in our congregation that were not just like us would hinder us rather than help us in attracting new memebers.

We talked a lot about giving to the needy, even those in our midst, but we found it hard when most only contributed a tentative amount every week wondering if we would be around for another year, rather than honoring God with the tithe.

Make no bones about it, we wanted a church. But we really wanted a church for ourselves that would validate our decision to leave ECUSA and our hard work would have been rewarded. We never saw anyone come to Christ.

While in seminary, I was asked to go evaluate two different lay-initiated groups in two different Florida networks. I saw similar things in both of them. Like us in Jacksonville, both of the groups felt like having their own Sunday service and clergy would make all the difference and their groups would flourish. “Let’s get to worship, and people will come,” they thought.

Both spent a lot of time talking about Jesus’ name being blasphemed where they were. But both also spent a lot of time talking about, and I quote, “the abominable nature of the sin of homosexuality.” Both were bound and determined not to have homosexuals in their groups. Both spoke in terms of being a life-boat for fleeing Episcopalians. Both wrote letters to their friends inviting them to an inquirers evening to have only two or three people show up. They were always very discouraged.

Both talked a lot about evangelism, outreach and mission, but spent their time lamenting the lack of attendance in their worship services usually topping out around 9 or 10 people. Both could not understand why more of their friends did not join. Both advertised heavily. Both held community events. Both wanted desperately to be a church, but they wanted a church that served them. They wanted clergy, they wanted an altar, they wanted a building, and they wanted a worship leader. They both worked very, very hard towards those ends. They never saw anyone come to Christ. They both folded last month.

Then there is the Oviedo church from which I came. We advertised, we had a rented worship space, we had a worship leader, we had clergy, we ran progams for the community, and many of us too, at one point had come out of the ECUSA. We worked very hard, but something was very different.

We spent our time praising God for who he is. We spent our time praying for the lost. We spent our time meeting people in our neighborhoods, jobs, children’s schools, and places in which we did business; establishing relationships because we understood that it is the only way we will ever get a chance to present the Gospel. We understood that no one happens into a church anymore in post-Christian 2008. We spent our time in each others’ homes loving each other, studying God’s word, and supporting each other in times of need. We all sacrificed money and personal time for the good of each other and God’s kingdom; it was not easy.

We loved on our neighbors, not because we wanted church members, but because we were caught up in God’s vision for the world. We were a people who longed for the lost to come to know God as we have been loved by God. We were people consumed with God’s glory and saw our task as working for Him rather than ourselves. We were a people bent on examining our lives, adjusting our schedules, living sacrificially, and determined to live holy, public lives. As we did these things, our church grew. We saw people come to Christ.

Do you see where I am going with all of this? All the advertising, all the clergy, all the worship leaders, all the accoutrements, all the programs, and all the community events can just be obligations we must fulfill in order to have a church. They can be very expensive and very tiring. If we operate with a view towards having a church, rather than being the Church, we will be very tired, grow cynical, and eventually be so worn out we won’t want to continue. Not bearing the fruit of our labor is defeating.

God never called any of us to be a church. He has called us to be the Church. The Church is only built on relationships, not programs, not anything else, but relationships; always has been, always will be. We are right to question any other motivation we might have, and foolish to think any other motivation but God’s glory one worthy of his attention.

God blesses a community on fire for Him. God blesses a community that has a burden for the lost in their hearts, not just on their website. God blesses a community that operates from a position of holy boldness and love for His creation. God blesses a community that takes the call to live public, holy, non-judgmental lives seriously. God will trust us with unbelievers if we have that kind of motivation and vision.

However feebly, I’ve tried to put this calling into words for ACTS over the last six weeks. I’m going to summarize the whole series in two simple statements from our Savior, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Matthew 22:37-39 NIV)

May the Lord strip from us any illigitimate motivations towards being a church. May the Spirit so work in us that we once again revel in the joy of our salvation. May our lips sing forth His praise.

What does it look like when we take the Lord’s two commandments seriously? What is our roadmap for being the Church instead of a church? I will close by re-reading our passage from Romans this morning. Listen to the words carefully:

“…I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.

Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.

Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.

Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God’s people who are in need.

Practice hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.

Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another.

Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody.

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:1-21 NIV)

Talk about a provocative community? If we can do that, evangelism will come easily to us. We’ll be wondering why so many people are asking us about our God. We will be the Church, not just a church, we will fulfill the two commandments, God will bless us, and we will grow.

Amen.

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