WEBVTT 00:00:04.719 --> 00:00:07.040 Welcome to the MetaCurch Podcast. 00:00:07.200 --> 00:00:08.160 My name's Clayton. 00:00:08.240 --> 00:00:10.320 I'm the pastor here at MetaCurch. 00:00:10.480 --> 00:00:17.920 And my hope is that today's podcast finds you at the perfect time in your life that God uses it to inspire and enlighten you. 00:00:18.079 --> 00:00:20.559 I hope that you enjoy today's message. 00:00:23.120 --> 00:00:25.440 MetaCurch, thank you so much for joining us. 00:00:25.600 --> 00:00:32.640 Man, it's an exciting week because it is our first weekend in person in over seven months. 00:00:32.880 --> 00:00:37.200 For those of you who are joining us in Holotus, I can't thank you enough. 00:00:37.359 --> 00:00:45.520 In order to social distance, we needed to service distance, which means spread everyone out as evenly as we can across our five services. 00:00:45.679 --> 00:00:53.119 And every one of you who is attending in Helotus has done your part to make room, to make sure that everyone can come and worship in person. 00:00:53.280 --> 00:01:02.159 Many of you are still streaming with us, and we're so glad we're gonna continue this digital option uh into the future now. 00:01:02.320 --> 00:01:14.480 And I just want you to know that even though you might not be in person, maybe it's because you're in a vulnerable category or you're just not comfortable yet, you're working your way back in, you are still every bit a part of this movement. 00:01:14.719 --> 00:01:17.439 We're so glad that you guys have joined us as well. 00:01:17.599 --> 00:01:25.920 Now we are in week five of our Whatever It Takes series, and this is a pivotal moment in the history of MetaCurch. 00:01:26.079 --> 00:01:35.519 If you're joining us for the first time, or maybe just for the first time in a long time, I would really encourage you throughout this next week to get caught up on this series. 00:01:35.680 --> 00:01:41.040 If you're gonna prioritize anything, at least watch weeks one and weeks three. 00:01:41.120 --> 00:01:41.840 And here's why. 00:01:42.000 --> 00:01:43.680 We're doing two things in this series. 00:01:43.920 --> 00:01:48.319 Number one, we're really drilling deep into our mission statement at Meta. 00:01:48.640 --> 00:01:54.159 Our mission statement says we will do whatever it takes to get people to Jesus. 00:01:54.400 --> 00:02:04.799 The second thing that we're doing is we're asking everyone who's a part of Meta to help us take an important next step in doing that very thing, doing whatever it takes. 00:02:04.959 --> 00:02:13.439 Right now, what that looks like is building out a permanent space as the base of operations for your MetaCurch movement. 00:02:13.599 --> 00:02:18.639 We have a lease on the old Super Kmart at Southwest 410 and Marbach Road. 00:02:18.719 --> 00:02:20.479 It's a$3 million project. 00:02:20.639 --> 00:02:26.240 You can learn all about this in our past weekends, but we are asking people to make three-year pledges. 00:02:26.319 --> 00:02:30.800 That's a three-year financial commitment to give to this project. 00:02:30.960 --> 00:02:36.080 Above and beyond your normal giving, you can't rob out of your offering to pay for the building. 00:02:36.159 --> 00:02:38.800 We need to stay healthy in our operation. 00:02:38.960 --> 00:02:47.120 But if everyone will do everything they can do, if everyone will give what a sacrifice means to them, we believe that God will do the rest. 00:02:47.360 --> 00:02:55.840 We have a few more weeks in this series because, to be honest, there is so much to say about doing whatever it takes. 00:02:56.080 --> 00:02:59.520 It really is the guiding principle for everything here at Meta. 00:02:59.680 --> 00:03:09.520 It's how we plan our services, it's how we decide which programs we're gonna run to help us get healthy, it's how we've organized our intentional community and life teams. 00:03:09.680 --> 00:03:17.199 Everything we do, the social action opportunities that we jump on in the community, everything is done through this lens of doing whatever it takes. 00:03:17.280 --> 00:03:28.560 And throughout this series, and honestly, throughout every week, I think we have talked to you guys over and over again about what it looks like on a personal level for you to do whatever it takes. 00:03:28.800 --> 00:03:34.080 For you to understand that God made you on purpose and he made you with purpose. 00:03:34.240 --> 00:03:43.520 You have a God-given purpose on your life, and to live that out will allow you to live the significant life that you were created for. 00:03:43.680 --> 00:03:45.919 Today I want to do something a little bit different. 00:03:46.080 --> 00:03:53.280 From time to time, I feel like it's important to do a sermon that I call pulling back the curtain. 00:03:53.439 --> 00:04:03.599 This is the idea that if we're going to reach people who don't yet know Jesus, those are primarily people who are outside of organized church. 00:04:03.759 --> 00:04:05.360 And there's a reason. 00:04:06.000 --> 00:04:14.639 Many, if not most, people who are outside of organized church are outside of it because they don't believe in it. 00:04:14.879 --> 00:04:20.480 Maybe they are de-churched, which means they grew up around the church or maybe went at some point in their life. 00:04:20.639 --> 00:04:26.959 But so many people carry deep, deep wounds inflicted by religion. 00:04:27.120 --> 00:04:34.959 Other people are just unchurched, they've never been around it, and they don't see the church generally having any positive impact in the world. 00:04:35.120 --> 00:04:40.959 All they hear from church is judgmentalism and cultures that are broken and toxic. 00:04:41.120 --> 00:04:54.079 There are some people who are anti-church, which means not only did they quit going to church or were never brought up in it, but they are actually militant against the idea of organized religion. 00:04:55.199 --> 00:04:58.800 And I would suggest that that is largely the church's fault. 00:04:59.040 --> 00:05:02.800 That we have gotten off track and off mission. 00:05:02.959 --> 00:05:18.720 And because of that, we have created environments and cultures that don't actually fulfill the very mandate that Jesus gave us to go into all of the world to preach the gospel, how we say it, to do whatever it takes, whatever it takes to get people to Jesus. 00:05:18.959 --> 00:05:28.000 I feel like it's important to not just talk on an individual level, but from time to time to pull back the curtain on the church world to see how things actually function. 00:05:28.160 --> 00:05:36.720 And there is a reason that metachurch is full of people who at one point were unchurched, de-churched, and even anti-church. 00:05:36.959 --> 00:05:44.959 There's a reason that we baptize 10, even 20 times the amount of people year to year that most churches baptize. 00:05:45.040 --> 00:05:57.920 It is by no coincidence that there are people who just years ago would have said, I will never walk into the doors of a church who are now leading major parts of the ministry at MetaCurch. 00:05:58.079 --> 00:06:06.160 It's because we have been intentional, not just on the individual level, but at the strategic level of what MetaCurch will be. 00:06:06.319 --> 00:06:09.920 Before we ever started, we decided we will be different. 00:06:10.240 --> 00:06:18.399 We will shift our strategy, which leads me to my message title today, which is called Shift Your Circle. 00:06:18.560 --> 00:06:19.920 Would you pray with me? 00:06:20.160 --> 00:06:21.360 Father, we love you. 00:06:21.519 --> 00:06:23.360 We thank you for loving us. 00:06:25.279 --> 00:06:35.680 We thank you for your church, the pure movement of Jesus on the earth that has changed lives and has changed the world as we know it. 00:06:35.839 --> 00:06:43.279 I pray it would not be lost on us the opportunity we have to be a part of the story that you are writing throughout time. 00:06:43.519 --> 00:06:44.399 We love you. 00:06:44.639 --> 00:06:47.040 We pray these things in Jesus' name. 00:06:47.279 --> 00:06:47.839 Amen. 00:06:48.079 --> 00:06:53.839 We're gonna anchor ourselves today in John's gospel, starting in chapter six. 00:06:54.079 --> 00:07:01.680 John traveled for three years with Jesus, and after Jesus died, he went and helped start the church movement that we're still a part of today. 00:07:01.839 --> 00:07:06.399 At one point, he sat down and wrote out the experiences he had with Jesus. 00:07:06.560 --> 00:07:11.439 And here is one of the stories that is maybe one of the most well-known out of the life of Jesus. 00:07:11.600 --> 00:07:18.000 In John chapter 6, verse 1, it says, After this, Jesus crossed the Sea of Galilee, or Tiberias. 00:07:18.160 --> 00:07:23.120 A huge crowd was following him because they saw the signs that he was performing by healing the sick. 00:07:23.360 --> 00:07:26.800 Jesus went up a mountain and he sat down there with his disciples. 00:07:27.040 --> 00:07:30.079 Now, the Passover, a Jewish festival, was near. 00:07:30.240 --> 00:07:39.279 And so when Jesus looked up and noticed a huge crowd coming towards him, he asked Philip, Where will we buy bread so that these people can eat? 00:07:39.519 --> 00:07:44.959 And he asked this to test him, for he himself knew exactly what he was going to do. 00:07:45.120 --> 00:07:52.480 Philip answered, Two hundred denari worth of bread wouldn't be enough for each of them to even have a little. 00:07:52.560 --> 00:08:02.800 And one of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to Jesus, There's a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many people? 00:08:03.040 --> 00:08:05.040 And Jesus said, Have the people sit down. 00:08:05.279 --> 00:08:10.160 And there was plenty of grass in that place, so they all sat down, and the men numbered about five thousand. 00:08:10.399 --> 00:08:22.160 Then Jesus took the loaves, and after giving thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated, so also with the fish, as much as everyone wanted. 00:08:22.639 --> 00:08:30.480 Those of you who have been around know that um I took maybe a less than conventional path to becoming a lead pastor. 00:08:30.639 --> 00:08:42.480 While I did study theology in my undergrad, I didn't have any kind of seminary training, and I really didn't get into the church world to climb the ladder from position to position all the way up to lead pastor. 00:08:42.799 --> 00:08:44.799 It really wasn't those kind of games. 00:08:44.879 --> 00:08:49.919 It was just a passion and ultimately the decision to launch MetaCurch. 00:08:50.080 --> 00:08:52.960 MetaCurch was started as well in an unconventional way. 00:08:53.120 --> 00:09:04.720 Most church plants, not all, but most of them are attached to some kind of church planting network where you get resources and information and a community of other lead pastors and other churches. 00:09:04.879 --> 00:09:08.000 But we looked around, and if it does exist, we couldn't find it. 00:09:08.240 --> 00:09:13.840 A church planting network that is as serious about the mission of doing whatever it takes. 00:09:14.000 --> 00:09:24.799 And it might not be a huge surprise to you that I don't tend to often run in circles with a lot of other lead pastors, pastors of other churches. 00:09:25.039 --> 00:09:28.320 It hasn't been intentional, I haven't been ignoring them. 00:09:28.480 --> 00:09:32.720 I just haven't found myself in many of the same circles. 00:09:33.039 --> 00:09:38.000 However, uh, that has changed a little bit recently and during the pandemic as people came together. 00:09:41.919 --> 00:09:49.759 And before I was a pastor, I was a musician, and I traveled all around working for other churches to do their music. 00:09:49.919 --> 00:09:57.840 And over time I got a real in-depth look at the way the Western church, the American church, operates. 00:09:58.320 --> 00:10:01.039 And what I found was very surprising to me. 00:10:01.120 --> 00:10:06.559 And I want to illustrate it today in as simple a way as I can think. 00:10:07.200 --> 00:10:16.720 And by showing you how it normally works, I think you'll be able to see how MetaCurch shifted our strategy by shifting our circle. 00:10:17.600 --> 00:10:22.960 I want this very simple circle to represent our city and the surrounding areas. 00:10:23.039 --> 00:10:25.919 And so San Antonio is a very big place by land. 00:10:26.000 --> 00:10:28.480 It's also a very big place by population. 00:10:28.559 --> 00:10:48.960 And if you take into account all of the little cities within the city, the Leon Valleys and Alamo Heights and Helotus, and if you take in kind of a broader circle of some of the areas that are right outside of town, like Medina and Castroville and Shirts and even the Bernie area, and people actually drive from all of those areas to come and be a part of MetaCurch. 00:10:49.039 --> 00:10:56.720 We're looking at a circle of our city of around two and a half million people. 00:10:57.200 --> 00:11:04.080 That is an unbelievable amount of people who are right within reach of MetaCurch. 00:11:04.399 --> 00:11:08.559 My hometown, Katie's hometown, uh we're from Lampasas. 00:11:08.639 --> 00:11:09.759 Shout out Lampasas. 00:11:09.840 --> 00:11:12.799 I know some of y'all have begun watching MetaCurch and we're so grateful. 00:11:12.960 --> 00:11:15.200 You guys know Lamp Pasas is a small town. 00:11:15.279 --> 00:11:16.960 There's about 6,000 people. 00:11:17.120 --> 00:11:24.879 When we moved to San Antonio, I was doing the music for a church, our first Easter, we had 8,000 people in attendance. 00:11:25.120 --> 00:11:33.039 Just at one church in San Antonio, there were more people that showed up to one weekend than lived in our entire hometown. 00:11:33.279 --> 00:11:38.240 San Antonio is a large place, two and a half million people. 00:11:38.639 --> 00:11:43.200 There's also a subset of individuals within San Antonio. 00:11:43.360 --> 00:11:48.480 And I'm gonna call this churched people. 00:11:48.879 --> 00:11:54.159 Not church people like anyone who goes to a church, but churched people. 00:11:54.639 --> 00:11:58.879 And I'm defining this very carefully to help us understand the strategy. 00:11:59.200 --> 00:12:03.279 Church people have three primary characteristics. 00:12:03.600 --> 00:12:08.080 Number one, they have some spiritual knowledge. 00:12:08.320 --> 00:12:09.519 They know some stuff. 00:12:09.679 --> 00:12:11.600 They can quote some Bible verses. 00:12:11.840 --> 00:12:17.200 If you tell them to turn to somewhere in the Bible, they can actually get in there and find it pretty quickly. 00:12:17.360 --> 00:12:23.759 They know the words to the songs, they know generally the rules around church, they have some spiritual knowledge. 00:12:23.919 --> 00:12:29.200 The second thing is they are religious in their attendance. 00:12:29.600 --> 00:12:30.799 Religious attendance. 00:12:30.879 --> 00:12:37.200 And what I mean by that is if they're not at church service on Sunday, something is seriously wrong. 00:12:37.360 --> 00:12:38.559 Somebody is dying. 00:12:38.720 --> 00:12:42.080 You better check on them if they're not in the seats on Sunday. 00:12:42.320 --> 00:12:45.919 Come rain or shine, come sleet or snow. 00:12:46.080 --> 00:12:51.360 Even when the cowboys play at noon, they show up to Sunday service. 00:12:51.519 --> 00:13:03.919 They are religiously attending, they have spiritual knowledge, and last, they are high percentage givers, usually 10%. 00:13:04.639 --> 00:13:14.240 Many church people grew up with the spiritual discipline that comes from the Jewish scriptures of giving 10% of everything you make back to the church. 00:13:14.480 --> 00:13:26.240 Now, I've always known that this subgroup existed, that it was a reality, that there are people who are unchurched, de-churched, anti-church, and there are people who are churched. 00:13:26.480 --> 00:13:27.840 They're gonna be there. 00:13:28.000 --> 00:13:29.360 You can count on them. 00:13:29.519 --> 00:13:33.919 They know some stuff, and they're high percentage givers. 00:13:35.919 --> 00:13:48.639 However, in our two and a half million people in our circle of our city, the church people make up a tiny, tiny percentage. 00:13:50.399 --> 00:13:55.919 Most of the people in our city, even if they go to church, it's incredibly irregular. 00:13:56.080 --> 00:14:06.480 They're not giving to their church, they don't have a high level of spiritual knowledge, they're not super bought in, and even if they attend, they might not believe yet in Jesus. 00:14:06.720 --> 00:14:09.759 That represents the big circle. 00:14:10.480 --> 00:14:21.120 The small circle are those who are already convinced their heavenly ticket is already punched, they are believers, and they are religious. 00:14:22.159 --> 00:14:41.200 And what I began to understand about church strategy is that there is a belief within the church that you are required to have a certain number of small circle people if you're ever gonna have a chance at reaching those in the big circle. 00:14:42.080 --> 00:14:48.559 Some people will say things like, you need a certain percentage of small circle to big circle to make it work. 00:14:48.720 --> 00:14:54.879 There's a common statistic in the church world that you need 20% of the people who will do 80% of the work. 00:14:55.039 --> 00:15:00.240 What they're saying is we need at least 20% small circle. 00:15:00.799 --> 00:15:04.080 People who are getting churches started will say they need 40 families. 00:15:04.240 --> 00:15:08.879 Before we can really do ministry, before we can really get started, we need 40 families. 00:15:09.039 --> 00:15:14.639 What they mean is we need 40 families from the small circle. 00:15:17.519 --> 00:15:25.279 And the belief out there is if you don't get the small circle people, you don't get to do the mission. 00:15:25.519 --> 00:15:27.440 It's just what it requires. 00:15:27.600 --> 00:15:30.639 Now, don't get it wrong, everyone talks about the big circle. 00:15:30.799 --> 00:15:40.799 Everyone says we want to reach the lost, we want to reach those who are far from God, we want to reach and preach the gospel, we want to get them in and get them saved, baptize them and make disciples. 00:15:40.960 --> 00:15:41.840 Everyone says it. 00:15:42.000 --> 00:15:46.399 Everyone puts it in a mission statement, they put it on a banner and they hang it on the wall. 00:15:46.559 --> 00:15:57.519 Everyone wants to go fishing in the big pond, but they believe in order to get started, they have to appease a certain number of people in the small circle. 00:15:57.840 --> 00:16:07.039 And so what we do is we have a mission that is for the big circle, but we have methods for the small. 00:17:10.319 --> 00:17:11.279 Is it their attendance? 00:17:11.440 --> 00:17:14.480 Man, everyone likes to have a lot of people in the room. 00:17:15.359 --> 00:17:23.279 But whether they come or not, or if they miss or their kids in sports or they're busy, there is one characteristic that trumps them all. 00:17:23.440 --> 00:17:24.960 This is the dirty little secret. 00:17:25.119 --> 00:17:32.000 If we pull back the curtain and we really look at church strategy, high percentage givers. 00:17:33.039 --> 00:17:36.079 Ministry requires money. 00:17:36.319 --> 00:17:46.880 And the belief is if you don't get a certain number out of the small circle, you won't have what it takes to fund what you are wanting to do. 00:17:48.799 --> 00:17:57.200 We're aware of this belief, and before we ever started Meadow, we made a decision that even if it costs us everything, we will shift our strategy. 00:17:57.279 --> 00:17:59.519 And here's what it is: it's very simple. 00:17:59.839 --> 00:18:03.359 We go after the big circle hard. 00:18:04.160 --> 00:18:07.599 We go after the big circle no matter what. 00:18:07.759 --> 00:18:11.839 We're serious when we say we do whatever it takes. 00:18:12.160 --> 00:18:15.119 But it does lead to a big question. 00:18:15.440 --> 00:18:23.440 How do you actually fund a ministry by going after the big circle? 00:18:23.680 --> 00:18:32.880 Church statistics say that it takes three years from the time a person is baptized, it takes three years for them to begin giving consistently. 00:18:33.039 --> 00:18:37.359 Giving in a way that you can actually count on it and budget around it. 00:18:38.400 --> 00:18:45.440 If you're only going after big circle, the problem is the big circle is known to not give. 00:18:45.519 --> 00:18:46.640 How do you run a ministry? 00:18:46.799 --> 00:18:49.039 How do you fund a three million dollar building? 00:18:49.200 --> 00:18:51.839 How do you move into something with so much more space? 00:18:52.000 --> 00:18:56.640 How do you survive if you don't have the high percentage givers? 00:18:57.119 --> 00:19:10.640 All very real questions that lead to very real problems that lead to very real compromise in the church world to make sure that small circle Christians are comfortable in your culture. 00:19:14.720 --> 00:19:20.799 But if we're gonna do whatever it takes, we have to think differently. 00:19:21.440 --> 00:19:34.960 In John 6, verse 5, it says, When Jesus looked up, he noticed a huge crowd coming towards him, and he asked Philip, Where will we buy bread so that all of these people can eat? 00:19:35.119 --> 00:19:36.079 Now, why Philip? 00:19:36.240 --> 00:19:40.559 Philip doesn't get a whole lot of time in the Gospels. 00:19:40.720 --> 00:19:42.079 We don't hear about him a whole lot. 00:19:42.160 --> 00:19:49.359 We hear a lot about Peter, we hear a lot about James, we hear a lot about John, we hear a lot about these guys, we don't hear a lot about Philip. 00:19:49.519 --> 00:19:54.640 It almost seems odd that out of all the twelve disciples, Jesus looks to Philip. 00:19:54.880 --> 00:20:00.640 Philip, where are we gonna get food for all of these people? 00:20:00.799 --> 00:20:01.759 There's a reason. 00:20:02.000 --> 00:20:10.559 It says that they were right across the Sea of Galilee, which means they were right by Bethseda, which is Philip's hometown. 00:20:10.720 --> 00:20:14.559 Jesus looks to Philip almost as like the local 411. 00:20:14.720 --> 00:20:16.160 Like, where are we going, bro? 00:20:16.319 --> 00:20:17.599 Where do we get the food from? 00:20:17.920 --> 00:20:19.440 What connections do you have? 00:20:19.599 --> 00:20:21.039 Are we ordering in Panera? 00:20:21.200 --> 00:20:23.839 Do you know somebody at Pizza Hut that can hook us up? 00:20:24.000 --> 00:20:27.440 Where do we go to get food enough for all of these people? 00:20:27.599 --> 00:20:34.160 And of course, the text tells us Jesus is asking this to test his disciples. 00:20:35.359 --> 00:20:40.400 He needs a dramatic shift in their strategy. 00:20:42.960 --> 00:20:50.079 He needs them to be able to see big circle problems and come up with big circle solutions. 00:20:51.200 --> 00:20:55.519 Now notice the text has already told us there were 5,000 men. 00:20:55.920 --> 00:21:01.759 Which means when you count the women and the children, we're talking about 20,000 people. 00:21:02.240 --> 00:21:07.839 That is more people than there are seats in the ATT center where the Spurs play. 00:21:08.000 --> 00:21:09.599 20,000 people. 00:21:10.480 --> 00:21:15.440 Philip, where will we buy the food? 00:21:16.160 --> 00:21:17.680 Jesus asks, where? 00:21:17.920 --> 00:21:19.920 And in verse 7, Philip answered him. 00:21:20.319 --> 00:21:30.000 He said, 200 denarii worth of bread wouldn't be enough for each of them to even get one bite, to have just a little bit. 00:21:31.039 --> 00:21:33.359 Philip is like, oh crap. 00:21:34.480 --> 00:21:35.599 Are you not gonna ask John? 00:21:35.759 --> 00:21:36.799 You're asking me now? 00:21:36.960 --> 00:21:38.880 I sit in the back of the classroom, bro. 00:21:38.960 --> 00:21:40.079 I never raised my hand. 00:21:40.240 --> 00:21:41.599 You're asking me? 00:21:42.319 --> 00:21:43.920 Philip crunches some numbers. 00:21:44.079 --> 00:21:45.119 He does some mental math. 00:21:45.279 --> 00:21:48.880 He goes, Jesus, we could have half a year's salary. 00:21:49.599 --> 00:21:54.079 And it wouldn't be enough for everyone just to get a taste. 00:21:57.279 --> 00:21:59.519 It's so interesting because Jesus asks. 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:00.880 Where? 00:22:02.240 --> 00:22:05.200 And Philip answers, How? 00:22:06.240 --> 00:22:08.640 Jesus didn't say, How are we gonna pay for it? 00:22:09.119 --> 00:22:11.279 Jesus didn't say, How are we gonna get it here? 00:22:11.599 --> 00:22:13.519 How do we get an accurate headcount? 00:22:13.759 --> 00:22:17.920 He wasn't looking for numbers, he was looking for faith. 00:22:19.680 --> 00:22:22.640 Where are we gonna buy this food? 00:22:23.519 --> 00:22:27.359 And Philip is like, there's just no way. 00:22:27.759 --> 00:22:29.440 There's no way. 00:22:30.799 --> 00:22:34.079 Jesus sees a big circle problem. 00:22:34.480 --> 00:22:43.839 You see, while Jesus was on earth, the people who would follow him from town to town and sit all day long at his feet just to hear him and experience healing and enlightenment. 00:22:44.160 --> 00:22:46.799 These were not the elite of society. 00:22:48.559 --> 00:22:52.000 These were the poor, disenfranchised. 00:22:53.039 --> 00:23:04.000 These were the people who were sick and diseased, the people who lived on the fringes of society, the people who had looked for hope everywhere and weren't able to find it. 00:23:04.400 --> 00:23:07.839 Jesus attracted a big circle crowd. 00:23:07.920 --> 00:23:20.079 As a matter of fact, the small circle of all the religious and political elite, the wealthy and influential, every time they showed up, Jesus would drive them away. 00:23:22.079 --> 00:23:27.680 Part of the problem in the church today is that we have really great mission statements and we have really poor methods. 00:23:28.240 --> 00:23:33.839 That at the end of the day, we're not actually willing to put our money where our mouth is. 00:23:36.000 --> 00:23:41.279 And over and over and over again at MetaCurch, small circle people show up to services. 00:23:41.519 --> 00:23:49.440 They hear about this great place where people are getting baptized and coming to know Jesus, and families are being healed, and addictions are being kicked, and they want to come see what's up. 00:23:49.519 --> 00:23:53.759 But when they come to the service, they are used to people catering to them. 00:23:54.079 --> 00:24:01.599 People are catering to them because they need their resources because they've bought a lie that if we don't have enough small circle people, we can't fulfill the mission. 00:24:02.480 --> 00:24:05.839 Not always, but a lot of times these people end up entitled. 00:24:07.119 --> 00:24:08.880 After service, they need to speak to the pastor. 00:24:09.359 --> 00:24:10.400 I need to speak to the pastor. 00:24:10.559 --> 00:24:11.759 They always have some advice. 00:24:11.920 --> 00:24:14.559 Like, you know, maybe you could turn the music down just a little bit. 00:24:14.640 --> 00:24:19.200 And I'm not 100% sure, but I'm pretty sure the guy that was sitting behind me was a felon at one point. 00:24:19.279 --> 00:24:21.200 I don't know if you know, but I think he did some time. 00:24:21.359 --> 00:24:23.119 I think he might have done some time. 00:24:23.680 --> 00:24:28.000 And there's some people who are in here and they have some world views I don't know that I agree with. 00:24:28.160 --> 00:24:31.200 And I just think you can make a few changes here at MetaCurch. 00:24:31.279 --> 00:24:34.400 And man, Pastor, you would really be doing some ministry there. 00:24:34.559 --> 00:24:36.640 I would really be comfortable coming here. 00:24:38.480 --> 00:24:43.599 And every person that's in leadership in this movement knows. 00:24:45.119 --> 00:24:46.880 We all have the same script. 00:24:47.039 --> 00:24:49.200 We all will say the same thing. 00:24:49.680 --> 00:24:53.200 Listen, I'm so glad that you joined us today. 00:24:53.359 --> 00:24:55.920 I'm so glad that you got to see what we're doing. 00:24:57.599 --> 00:25:03.519 There are about a thousand churches in San Antonio where you will be so comfortable. 00:25:04.160 --> 00:25:05.759 There are about a thousand churches. 00:25:05.920 --> 00:25:11.200 What we're really seeing, there are about a thousand churches in town catering to this small circle. 00:25:11.440 --> 00:25:13.839 We would love to help you find one. 00:25:16.960 --> 00:25:19.519 Jesus and the disciples have a big circle problem. 00:25:19.680 --> 00:25:22.559 They have 20,000 mouths to feed. 00:25:23.599 --> 00:25:28.640 And Philip sees a big circle problem and he looks for a small circle answer. 00:25:28.880 --> 00:25:31.759 It's like, Jesus, we just don't have the donor base yet. 00:25:31.920 --> 00:25:34.319 You know, like we're really still just getting started. 00:25:34.480 --> 00:25:36.319 Like John has 23 chapters. 00:25:36.400 --> 00:25:37.680 We're only in chapter six. 00:25:37.839 --> 00:25:39.359 Like, we'll build it over time. 00:25:39.519 --> 00:25:41.200 We'll get some people to commit to giving. 00:25:41.279 --> 00:25:46.000 But to be honest, Jesus, you've got to quit driving away every wealthy person that comes in here. 00:25:46.160 --> 00:25:56.400 Like, if you could just maybe change up the message just a little bit to where some of the Pharisees would feel comfortable coming, that would mean more wealthy people would feel comfortable coming, which means we'd have more money. 00:25:56.480 --> 00:25:57.200 You know what, Jesus? 00:25:57.279 --> 00:25:59.680 I bet two years from now we can feed these people no problem. 00:25:59.759 --> 00:26:02.559 We just have to, we gotta make a few changes here. 00:26:02.720 --> 00:26:12.079 It's gotta be frustrating for Philip that he has seen Jesus run these people away for a year now, and because he's run them away, they don't have the resources they need. 00:26:12.160 --> 00:26:18.240 And he looks at him anyway and says, Philip, where are we gonna get the food to feed all these people? 00:26:18.400 --> 00:26:19.279 It's a test. 00:26:19.440 --> 00:26:20.400 It's a test. 00:26:20.960 --> 00:26:22.880 Jesus is like Philip. 00:26:23.680 --> 00:26:27.119 Where, where are we gonna find it? 00:26:29.279 --> 00:26:37.359 The real answer is not to go looking at what the town has to offer, not to go try to get some discounted meals. 00:26:37.839 --> 00:26:45.279 The real answer is to see that the provision is in the person, the person of Jesus Christ. 00:26:46.000 --> 00:26:47.359 Big circle problem. 00:26:47.599 --> 00:26:50.559 Philip has a small circle mindset. 00:26:51.279 --> 00:26:57.119 In verse 8, one of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, There's a boy here. 00:26:57.519 --> 00:27:00.160 He has five barley loaves and two fish. 00:27:00.480 --> 00:27:04.240 But what are they for so many people? 00:27:05.440 --> 00:27:16.640 And Andrew gets so close, he really does, because he sees the big circle problem, and he actually finds an answer inside of the big circle. 00:27:17.440 --> 00:27:18.720 He's so close. 00:27:19.039 --> 00:27:20.880 But there's too many issues. 00:27:21.119 --> 00:27:23.519 Number one, it's a young boy. 00:27:23.680 --> 00:27:27.839 In that culture, children were to be seen and not to be heard. 00:27:28.079 --> 00:27:31.039 They had no value, they had no voice. 00:27:31.359 --> 00:27:36.559 Not only that, but John inserts an interesting detail that the other gospels leave out. 00:27:36.880 --> 00:27:41.519 He says, the bread the little boy brought was barley bread. 00:27:42.559 --> 00:27:49.440 Barley bread was known as the bread of the beasts because it was only good enough for the animals. 00:27:51.119 --> 00:28:02.480 Not only is it a young boy, but we can say pretty confidently, if he's carrying barley loaves, that he is incredibly poor. 00:28:04.319 --> 00:28:06.880 Andrew gets so close, so close. 00:28:07.279 --> 00:28:09.039 He's looking in the big circle. 00:28:09.200 --> 00:28:15.200 At least he walked around to see if there was any food inside the people who needed it. 00:28:16.079 --> 00:28:19.680 He was so close, but he couldn't break a small circle mindset. 00:28:20.160 --> 00:28:22.480 He's like, this is what I found. 00:28:22.880 --> 00:28:25.759 But like this is like an off-brand lunchable. 00:28:26.079 --> 00:28:28.160 This is an embarrassing meal. 00:28:28.720 --> 00:28:33.440 What is this gonna do for 20,000 people? 00:28:35.519 --> 00:28:44.880 Big circle problem, big circle mission, small circle mindset, small circle methods. 00:28:45.119 --> 00:28:48.880 What are they for so many? 00:28:49.519 --> 00:28:53.680 In verse 10, Jesus said, Have the people sit down. 00:28:54.799 --> 00:28:58.000 And there was plenty of grass in that place, and so they sat down. 00:28:58.160 --> 00:29:00.640 And the men numbered about 5,000. 00:29:00.880 --> 00:29:10.400 And then Jesus took the loaves, and after he gave thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated, so also with the fish. 00:29:11.519 --> 00:29:16.960 He distributed to them as much as they wanted. 00:29:18.559 --> 00:29:24.480 20,000 people, and not one of them, not one of them went hungry. 00:29:24.720 --> 00:29:33.119 As a matter of fact, there was so much left over that they filled up 12 large baskets with what did not get eaten. 00:29:34.240 --> 00:29:36.880 As much as they wanted. 00:29:45.359 --> 00:30:02.480 As a matter of fact, the small circle people of Jesus' time, those who were spiritually knowledgeable, had religious attendants, the high percentage givers, those were the very people who hung him on a cross. 00:30:03.920 --> 00:30:15.839 He was so focused on big circle priorities that he did not bother the mission with anything else. 00:30:16.880 --> 00:30:26.799 Jesus was showing these disciples that it was imperative for them to shift the strategy in their minds. 00:30:27.119 --> 00:30:33.119 You see, these disciples, after Jesus' death and resurrection, are gonna become the apostles. 00:30:33.279 --> 00:30:39.440 And the apostles are the very men who start the movement that we call the church today. 00:30:39.759 --> 00:30:42.160 He needs them to understand this. 00:30:42.480 --> 00:30:50.240 Because right before Jesus ascends back to heaven, he's gonna give them the great commission, the great cup mission. 00:30:50.400 --> 00:30:52.400 It's where we get our mission statement. 00:30:52.559 --> 00:30:55.359 We're not smart enough to think of a mission statement on our own. 00:30:55.519 --> 00:31:02.799 It would just be us trying to get in the way of what Jesus already told us to do: go into all of the world and preach the gospel. 00:31:04.480 --> 00:31:17.599 Teaching them and baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey all that Christ has commanded us to love God and love the people around us. 00:31:19.279 --> 00:31:23.200 Jesus gave us a big circle mission. 00:31:24.640 --> 00:31:28.960 He could have said, go into all the world and get your donor base really tight. 00:31:29.119 --> 00:31:31.279 You're gonna go in, you're gonna have to make a few concessions. 00:31:31.359 --> 00:31:33.279 Don't be too radical because you'll run people out. 00:31:33.359 --> 00:31:42.720 But man, make sure you get your 40 families, get your 40 families in because once you get them in, you'll have all the money that you need to then go out and reach the people who don't know about me yet. 00:31:42.880 --> 00:31:43.920 Here's the problem. 00:31:46.720 --> 00:31:56.319 The church has focused so much on appeasing the small circle that we have compromised the mission that we got from our Messiah. 00:31:59.920 --> 00:32:03.440 And so we make sure that the religious are comfortable. 00:32:03.920 --> 00:32:06.960 And to make sure they're comfortable, we need some unwritten rules. 00:32:07.119 --> 00:32:12.160 And to make sure they're comfortable, we need a very church-religious culture. 00:32:12.319 --> 00:32:17.759 And to make sure that they're comfortable, we have to listen to all their complaints and do everything they want us to do. 00:32:18.000 --> 00:32:32.160 And at the end of the day, we are left with churches who have built their strategy around the already convinced, and they have created environments where the rest of the world will not come in. 00:32:34.880 --> 00:32:40.400 I was talking to John Whitdy, Pastor Whitty, who uh preaches with us sometimes. 00:32:40.480 --> 00:32:42.480 He's an overseer of MetaCurch. 00:32:42.799 --> 00:32:48.880 He helps speak into our spiritual direction and holds me accountable. 00:32:49.759 --> 00:32:56.799 And we were talking about this very large project, three million dollar build-out of a space right down the road. 00:32:57.759 --> 00:33:02.160 We were talking about the realities of reaching the big circle. 00:33:05.119 --> 00:33:08.880 And John Whitdy spent 20 years in Africa as a missionary. 00:33:09.039 --> 00:33:16.079 And what they would do is they would show up and they would have very little insight or knowledge about the villages that they were reaching. 00:33:16.319 --> 00:33:21.920 They wouldn't know exactly the strategy or how to reach them or how to emasion their culture. 00:33:22.000 --> 00:33:25.680 They often didn't know how to speak all of the language before they showed up. 00:33:25.839 --> 00:33:29.279 They didn't always know exactly where all of their support would come from. 00:33:29.359 --> 00:33:34.960 And he said, Clayton, the resource is in the harvest. 00:33:37.200 --> 00:33:38.799 That's what you're doing. 00:33:39.039 --> 00:33:41.119 He said, That's what Kmart is. 00:33:41.359 --> 00:33:47.119 Y'all actually believe that the resources are in the harvest. 00:33:47.440 --> 00:33:51.200 Now that's an intuitively true statement. 00:33:51.839 --> 00:34:01.759 If you're a farmer and you are hungry and you've got a field that has grown, the resources you need, the food that you need is in the field. 00:34:01.920 --> 00:34:04.880 It's in the harvest that you get the resources. 00:34:06.000 --> 00:34:13.360 And a small circle mentality says we have to get the resources before we go out and harvest. 00:34:15.920 --> 00:34:21.199 What he was saying was, you stay focused on the big circle. 00:34:21.519 --> 00:34:35.119 You stay focused on those who don't yet know Jesus and trust that the one the scripture calls the Lord of the harvest will bring you exactly what you need. 00:34:35.679 --> 00:34:43.280 Last week we learned about a widow who had nothing except a small small jar of oil. 00:34:43.679 --> 00:34:48.079 She already had what she needed and didn't yet realize it. 00:34:49.519 --> 00:34:53.599 You know, I've I've read this story countless times. 00:34:53.920 --> 00:34:56.320 Jesus feeding the 5,000. 00:34:58.159 --> 00:35:09.280 And yet I realized for the first time the very resources, the very loaves and fish that were the catalyst for the miracle, they didn't come from Jesus. 00:35:09.519 --> 00:35:10.719 They didn't come from Andrew. 00:35:10.800 --> 00:35:12.800 They didn't come from Philip, James, John. 00:35:13.519 --> 00:35:16.719 They came from inside the circle. 00:35:17.039 --> 00:35:21.039 The resources we need are in the harvest that is coming. 00:35:21.199 --> 00:35:29.599 I shared two weeks ago that some consultants came in to help us structure this campaign to try to make sure we get the funds that we need to move forward on the building. 00:35:29.679 --> 00:35:44.320 And they did such an amazing job, but the first thing they did before they'd ever met any of you is they dug into the data and the demographics and the statistics and they looked at all of our numbers and they said, We have never, we've never seen a church with so few wealthy people. 00:35:45.599 --> 00:35:51.360 In other words, we can't find your small circle. 00:35:51.679 --> 00:35:53.360 And there's a reason. 00:35:54.239 --> 00:36:01.119 Because before we ever started Meta, we shifted our strategy by shifting our circle. 00:36:01.440 --> 00:36:07.039 And it wasn't just to not focus on the small circle and instead to focus on the large. 00:36:46.719 --> 00:36:52.800 All of us hopelessly lost, in need of a savior. 00:36:53.760 --> 00:37:04.559 We're all in this circle together, and the only difference, the only difference, is that some of us have found true hope in Jesus. 00:37:04.800 --> 00:37:07.840 The small circle is created by religion. 00:37:08.000 --> 00:37:18.079 It's an attempt to use Jesus as a shield to insulate yourself away from the world that makes you so uncomfortable. 00:37:20.239 --> 00:37:22.719 We don't have a small circle. 00:37:23.440 --> 00:37:38.079 We're not interested in blocking ourselves off from the people who don't think like us, act like us, believe like us, behave like us, because there is no us and them, there's just us. 00:37:39.519 --> 00:37:43.599 Metachurch will not hide behind the walls of a church building. 00:37:43.760 --> 00:37:52.079 We will not involve ourselves so much in gaining spiritual knowledge and attending every single class and program that we can throw at it. 00:37:52.400 --> 00:37:59.840 We will be in the world to shine the light of Jesus to a world that so desperately needs that hope. 00:38:00.079 --> 00:38:01.840 We will do whatever it takes. 00:38:02.000 --> 00:38:06.000 And to do whatever it takes, we cannot section ourselves off. 00:38:06.159 --> 00:38:12.960 We have to realize that we're all broken and we're all jacked up and we're all in need of a savior. 00:38:13.599 --> 00:38:14.960 And so what do we do? 00:38:16.400 --> 00:38:19.199 What about those who are churched? 00:38:19.840 --> 00:38:24.880 What about those who do have spiritual knowledge and who will never miss a service and are high percentage givers? 00:38:25.199 --> 00:38:27.440 Are we purposefully running them off? 00:38:27.920 --> 00:38:28.239 No. 00:38:32.400 --> 00:38:38.239 We're just simply defining spiritual maturity the way that scripture does. 00:38:38.400 --> 00:38:47.280 It's not in how many scriptures you can quote, it's not in how many songs you can sing, it's not in perfect attendance, and it's not even in your giving. 00:38:47.440 --> 00:38:49.280 Those are all good things. 00:38:50.320 --> 00:39:01.760 But the true mark of spiritual maturity is just how radically you will do whatever it takes to tell others about the hope that you have found in Jesus. 00:39:02.960 --> 00:39:17.599 The true mark of spiritual maturity is drawing closer and closer and closer to your God-given purpose, and I promise your purpose will never move you further from people who don't know Jesus. 00:39:17.840 --> 00:39:30.880 The purpose that God created you with is ultimately within you to help live out the mission He has placed upon you to do whatever it takes to get people to Jesus. 00:39:31.679 --> 00:39:39.519 We've gone hard after the big circle because we realize that every one of us is a part of it. 00:39:40.559 --> 00:39:42.960 And maybe that's why you're here. 00:39:43.519 --> 00:39:46.559 Maybe that's why you're a part of this movement. 00:39:47.199 --> 00:39:53.199 We believe that God will provide, that the resources are in the harvest. 00:39:55.039 --> 00:39:56.559 And it's not magic. 00:39:57.199 --> 00:40:10.480 The reason that we grew so rapidly, the reason we see so many baptisms, the reason we see real life change, it's not because we're better, it's not because we're the best preachers or singers, it's not because we are excellent in every facet of the ministry. 00:40:10.639 --> 00:40:15.360 In fact, we have a lot of room to grow in almost every area of what we do. 00:40:17.280 --> 00:40:23.840