Mission Sent
Thanks so much for your time as you hear from Mission Sent in Florida. Our mission is to Serve Others, Share the Gospel of Jesus, and Live our Lives on Mission! Let's make the world better one Mission at a time.
Mission Sent
Squirrels vs. Jesus: Who Are You Imitating?
Do you approach church with a consumer mindset? Many believers leave congregations because "they weren't being fed" or "it wasn't a good fit," but this fundamentally misses the point of what the church was designed to be. Romans 12:13 delivers a challenging message that stands in stark contrast to our self-focused culture: "Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality."
This isn't a simple checklist of behaviors but describes a fundamental way of being that should characterize authentic Christ-followers. When Paul instructs us to "contribute to the needs of the saints," he addresses both financial giving and something potentially more challenging – the sacrifice of our time. While writing a check requires little personal investment, carving out time for others demands genuine sacrifice, especially in our attention-fragmented digital age where the average focus span has dwindled to mere seconds.
The command to "seek hospitality" isn't passive but requires active pursuit. We're called to create opportunities for welcome, going out of our way to open our lives and homes to others as a reflection of Christ's character. This might mean adjusting our comfort for guests, organizing gatherings, or initiating coffee meetings – not waiting for church-organized events but personally extending Christ's welcome to others.
At its core, this teaching challenges us to honestly evaluate: are we truly disciples of Jesus, or merely consumers of religious goods and services? Jesus Himself prayed, "Not my will, but yours be done," even when facing the cross. As His followers, we're called to the same surrender and service – moving beyond being among the 5,000 who were fed to joining the disciples who distributed the bread and fish to others.
What would people truthfully say at your funeral? Are you building your temporary kingdom or contributing to God's eternal one? Your answer reveals whether you're following Jesus or simply attending church. The choice is yours today.
Well, good morning. Hope everyone's doing well this morning. And as we jump into this, I want to start with two very big statements. Number one it's very easy to hear what we're going to cover tonight or not tonight still used to Saturday nights. It's very easy to take what we're going to cover today and try to make like a list of things to do. That is not what Paul is trying to get at. It's not just like, hey, here's a checklist of things to do. It is a way of being All right. It is just who you are that he's trying to get at.
Speaker 1:Number two I need everyone in here to understand that the church is not about you. The church isn't about me. The church is not about any particular people. See, I've talked to a lot of different people, as you guys can probably imagine, that have left churches. People, as you guys can probably imagine that have left churches and you want to know what their biggest things were. I wasn't being fed. They didn't have anything for my kids, it just wasn't a good fit. See, we make this very much about us and what we're going to hear today is actually the opposite of that, and we have to start with the understanding that the church is about Jesus and others, not about us. So I'm going to pray and then we will jump in. Father, I ask and I pray that as I go through this today, that, god, it be your words that I say and not mine. That you just use me, father, to talk to your people and by the power of your spirit, we are changed from the inside out. Father, we pray this in Jesus' name, amen, all right.
Speaker 1:So Romans 12, 13 says this Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality, unlike the other marks we have seen so far, the other marks of a true Christian. What Paul is talking about here isn't given to us in a triple right, like last week. We had rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer, and that has been his model. And then he gets here and instead of a triple we had rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer, and that has been his model. And then he gets here and instead of a triple we just have this double. The first thing Paul says here is contribute to the needs of the saints. Now we looked at generosity a couple of weeks ago and I told you generosity, and that whole mindset was going to be coming back in a couple of weeks. Well, here it is.
Speaker 1:When Paul tells us to contribute to the needs of the saints, what does he actually mean? Like when he's sitting here and going, hey, contribute. What is he talking about? To contribute? Well, I think in scripture really points out that there are two unique things that he's talking about. Number one he is sitting here, going give your money and goods to those who need it.
Speaker 1:Now, where do we get this from? Well, if we go to Hebrews 13, 16, is that in there it says this do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. Or in Acts 2.45, it says this and they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all as any had need. See, this was a marker of the first church. They weren't caught up on things. It was do people need? How can I serve others? Like, think about this. It's not just like hyperbole, it's not just this exaggeration to prove a point. In Acts 2, we see the birth of the church and what they are doing is just that they are literally selling their belongings to give to people in the church who had needs.
Speaker 1:Now, how many of us in the American culture could say, hey, we've seen that. Like, we're down for that, like, let's do that? Not many, right? Because most of us in the American culture, we have a very what? Mentality? An inward focused, a me mentality, right? In fact, there are generations that have been labeled the me generation and we think the more that we put into me, the happier I will be, when, in fact, as we have seen many times, the more you put into you, the more depressed you will be and the more anxiety you will have. Because here is a shocking truth you will never have enough. I don't care how swole your bank account may be, you will never have enough. Elon Musk didn't get to a point where he was like you know what I'm like? One of the richest people in the entire world, I'm good, I'm going to stop.
Speaker 1:That's just not human nature. We, honestly, are like catfish who will sit there and gorge themselves until they throw up just to eat more. Groupers, do it too. If you're interested in different fish, that do this. Sharks, some shark species, do it too. But that's what we do. We just go more and more and more and more and more.
Speaker 1:Well, let me ask you, why is it so hard for us to just be givers? For us to just be givers I don't know what language that was, g, that's mine, mine, mine. Think about it. I have seen kids, literally, who have 16 different brown crowns sitting on their table and a child asked to use one and they're like no, I need that one. That's cafe brown, not, you know that's cafe brown, not. You know whatever brown, chocolate brown, thank you.
Speaker 1:And let's be honest, do we ever actually get out of that mentality? No, you know how many times a day, as a teacher, you are like putting out fights because, well, they took that, that's mine. I go. Really, why, like, why do we go this route? And as we grow up, we never really fully move past that? Why? Because if I give to you, I don't have and we have a scarcity mindset. If you guys can remember back, you know, five years in 2020, people fist fighting in stores over toilet paper. Because your garden hose was broken, I assume Because your shower didn't work, like there are other ways to accomplish the same goal, but if I do not have 80,000 rolls of toilet paper, what am I going to do during this pandemic? What am I going to do while I'm sitting at the house? See, because if I give to you, I won't have for me. And when we use this mentality, when we live our lives like this, we are imitating squirrels far more than we are imitating Jesus, and that's why I started with.
Speaker 1:This isn't just a list. It's very easy to sit here and go, okay, well, here's what he's talking about. I need to give you know my tithes and offerings and I need to do this and I need to do this and I need to do this. That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about, like, who you are as a person, like at your funeral, what are people going to say about you? Or are they going to have to lie? Are they going to have to be like hey, yeah, you know he was a great guy. Here's the deal. I have good parents that raised me not to be a liar.
Speaker 1:So if I am the one giving your eulogy, I'm gonna call it for what I saw it. You don't want me to do that. Give me a reason not to, because, see, we act more like squirrels than jesus. What did jesus withhold, jesus? What did Jesus withhold? He emptied himself to the point of death on a cross. Jesus gave his own life for those he loves, for the church. What have you given so you can only really be in these two different camps?
Speaker 1:Right, we sit here and we have this death grip on our money, on our things, like we're taking any of that when we go. See, a lot of us treat it like ancient kings and pharaohs who would be buried with all this money and all these things, so that when they returned back and do you know what? Grave robbers went and got out of their stuff Everything that they left in there. You know why? Because you don't get to take any of it when you go. We got lucky yesterday and got to teach Gabby one of the biggest skills she's going to need to know in life. She got to load up my truck with a bunch of brush and tree branches and then she got to drive all the way to the dump and then learn how to deal with people at the dump and throw the stuff out and if you're looking at me going, really that's a huge skill. And throw the stuff out and if you're looking at me going, really that's a huge skill.
Speaker 1:Some of my fondest memories growing up are going to the dump with my dad. In fact, when we are heading to the beach, you pass by Sam Sula on 415, right, and a lot of people like when you get to the dump, a lot of people are like, oh God, that stinks. I happen to really enjoy that smell because it is tied to so many good memories for me from when I was little, like I learned how to back up a trailer going to the dump with my mom because my mom couldn't do it and I was like 12 and she was like I don't know, figure it out, you do this with your dad a lot. And we got the trailer backed up Like some of my greatest memories are that we were leaving the dump yesterday and as we're leaving, there's a truck pulling in. If you don't know what a car hauler trailer is, it is a gigantic, really long trailer meant to fit cars. This truck's pulling in with one thing on the trailer Like I definitely think it was overkill, especially because you have a truck and you could have probably put it in the bed of the truck. But they had a nice tonneau cover and you know we can't use trucks for trucks, I guess. But they had a bless you, they had a massage chair on it and we're leaving and Debbie looks over and she goes isn't that crazy? They paid $2,000 for that chair and here they are taking it to the dump and I went no, no, no, that's not crazy. Think about it. Everything you own will eventually be sold at a rummage sale, like we have coming up on July 12th, or it'll go to the dump. Those are the two places everything you own will eventually end up, and I know you're sitting here going no, no, no, no, no. I have kids and I'm going to pass it on, and this has been in my family for generations. Listen to me very carefully. Eventually, it's going to get sold or it's going to get thrown away, regardless of how important it is to you. So, yeah, I think the first contribution, and the first way we contribute to the needs of the saints, is we have that mentality right. We sit here and we go. You know what? If I had to sell my things to provide for my brothers and sisters, I will.
Speaker 1:I think the next thing Paul is talking about, though and I think this is is, I personally believe, more important than the money. Is this think this is, I personally believe, more important than the money. Is this my time? See, I'm going to be honest. Giving your money is super easy. It really is. If I stood up here for the next like 25 minutes and just made you feel guilty about how you don't give and I just like printed out like a list of our givers and just read that off, I'm sure some of you would like, oh crap, I gotta get on it. But it's super easy when you really stop and think about it. You write a check, you go online, you make a payment, whatever it is, but your time, your time that takes a lot.
Speaker 1:See what I think Paul is talking about when he says contribute to the needs of the saints is definitely a monetary thing, but I really think it has more to do with just like our heart and our like giving of time and ourselves. Because, think about it, money isn't the only issue. Is there a slide on there about? Yeah, if, if money was the only issue? Yeah, go ahead and put it up. Understand this. The us government spends billions of dollars annually on homelessness programs. In fact, the 2025 budget is proposing over $10 billion in federal funding. See, if money was the only issue, we could eradicate homelessness. We spend a lot of our tax dollars on programs for things like this, and yet do we still have homelessness? Why? There's plenty of money to give to it. Why is it still a thing then? And this is why I think Paul is talking more about our time than he is about our money. See what he's getting at here is he's going? You need to give yourself, you need to carve out time in your schedule, and that takes sacrifice, do you understand?
Speaker 1:Okay, if we take any social media platform anything YouTube, facebook, twitter, snapchat, instagram, whatever other ones you're using let's be honest, I only know those because of Debbie, except for YouTube. I know YouTube. What is their primary goal? Is their primary goal to like, connect people and give community and have connection and all of that? No, their primary goal is we want to keep you on our website for as long as we possibly can. Now, every time you click on certain links, you see that, hey, we may sell your information. Why are they selling your information? What could a company possibly gain from knowing what you search up on the internet? Yeah, and they spend billions of dollars a year to advertise to you. Why? Because your attention is worth it. Because if I can keep your attention, then I can get you to do anything I want you to do.
Speaker 1:But do you have any idea how hard it is to keep someone's attention? Like I do this professionally and I can tell you in the 25 to 50 minutes that I am up here talking, I can look through and go. Okay, I lost that person. Okay, oh, they're back re-engaged. Oh, nope, they're gone again.
Speaker 1:Like, think about this, your attention is super hard to get. In fact, as a teacher, do you know how long they tell you you're supposed to like whole group teach? Anybody want to take a guess on that? Four minutes, because if you go over four minutes, kids will no longer be able to engage with you mentally and learn what you're trying to teach them. Anybody in here think you can like over solving quadratic equations in just four minutes? No, ain't going to happen. Or you take these really complex ideas and then you're like, hey, I've got to try to shrink them.
Speaker 1:This is one of the dangers actually of YouTube Shorts and Reels on whatever reels are on and stories on whatever stories are on, because they've actually trained our brains to have even shorter attention spans, because now most people are just sitting there all day staring at that little 4 by four rectangle and going the average length of a YouTube short, which can only be a minute long. The average audience retention time is 17 seconds. Think about that. You could only give 17 seconds to what you're watching, and this is something important to us. Like entertainment, See, giving our time is much harder Because not only do we have a short attention span, you know what else, we have no room in our schedule.
Speaker 1:Like, we're just way too busy. Now. We are not too busy to binge TV. We're not too busy to just sit and relax and read a book. Does anybody read books anymore? I don't know if that's a good illustration, my mom, I think I don't know why you're. Oh, comics, okay, okay, we're not too busy for YouTube. We're not too busy for the things we want to do. Like, I'm never too busy to go fish. I can make as much time as I need to in that Like. I'll give you an example Tuesday I am waking up at 3 30 in the morning so I can go fish. It took everything I had to get out of bed at seven this morning, see, and that's why I think Paul sits here and goes. You know what, carving time out of your schedule. That takes sacrifice.
Speaker 1:So why does the Bible continually command us to give? Is it so the church can just have capital Like? Is that what it is Like? Is it so we can have bigger and better things? I think the answer is actually much bigger than that. In Matthew 6, 33, jesus says this but seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Now ask yourself this whose kingdom are you seeking? Like? Think about this. Whose kingdom are you seeking Like? Think about this. Whose kingdom are you seeking? Are you stacking up your treasure here and now? Are you holding all that Christ has given to you? Are you just going? Hey, this is my time, my money, my things. If you are, whose kingdom are you trying to build? Because I think it would be very apparent if that is you, you are building the kingdom of you. You're sitting here, going add more to the treasury, and I get it.
Speaker 1:Scrooge McDuck looked like he was having a lot of fun diving into that gold and just swimming around, right, and what's cool is that cartoon came back. So now the young kids get it and us millennials get it. But see, if you think that's bringing happiness. There's a reason why his first name was Scrooge McDuck, because it doesn't bring him happiness. And some of us, that's how we live our life, trying to just build up our own kingdoms. We're obsessed with things like the future and retirement, with the things, because that is what our kingdom is built on.
Speaker 1:Now let me ask you this Does anybody in here, anyone? Do you know for sure if you're not already? Do you know for sure that you're going to make it to retirement? Think about it Like you put all this stress into your future and you don't even know if you're going to make it to your future. And I'm not saying don't have plans, and I'm not saying don't be wise, like that's not what I'm saying at all. What I'm saying is is we put so much stock on that and so very little stock on going? Hey, I'm going to contribute to the needs of the saints. See, we tend to go. I'm going to build up my kingdom and then if I have leftover, I'll give it to God's kingdom, and that's kind of the opposite of what the Bible says. Bless you.
Speaker 1:I was talking to someone I forget over this past week. I forget who it was, but, like even when I was younger. If the church was open, I was there, and I mean that in all sincerity. I was there Sunday morning for service. I was there. We had Sunday night services. It was so cool because, like you, would see the pastor in like a Hawaiian shirt while he was teaching. We would be there Tuesdays for visitation. Wednesdays were youth group Thursdays. We would go up and just hang out and play basketball a lot. See, if the church was open, I was there and it didn't even matter why it was open, I just went. I love being there and I want to be with them and see.
Speaker 1:When we make this about us, we don't even know if we're going to live to old age. The book of james warns against this right. It says that you are a flower. You're here today and withered tomorrow. Your life is like a mist it's here now and gone tomorrow. But this is what we make it all about. Right Us now and again.
Speaker 1:I'm not saying be foolish with your money, absolutely be smart about it. But what I am sitting here saying is understand, your kingdom isn't everlasting. How many people in here can name their great grandparents, so your grandma's mom? How many of us can name our great great grandparents Not many, right, because our kingdom is not everlasting. Like, I got my great-grandfather down and the only reason I have my great-grandfather down is because we have his artwork hanging in our house, but I don't know who his dad was, or his mom, like one of my grandmas or great grandmas. I don't even know her name, I just know it was Gigi, like that was it. Her name was Dorothy. I just figured it out Because my kingdom is not everlasting. Eventually I'm going to fade off, and that's our biggest fear, right? That I won't be remembered. Think about this Again.
Speaker 1:I hate to use 300 for another sermon example. What did Xerxes threaten Leonidas with? Though? I will erase your name from history, because history is written by the victors and we go. But I want to be everlasting, and you know what? That is? A biblical thing.
Speaker 1:In Ecclesiastes 9, we read God has put eternity into the heart of every man. Actually, I think it's Ecclesiastes 3, but whatever it was off the top of my head. So I know it's in Ecclesiastes. So that is one of your desires, because God placed that in your heart. But the everlasting you have isn't our kingdom, it is the kingdom of God, the kingdom that is both here and now, and the kingdom that is then and there. See, when Jesus first starts his earthly ministry in Matthew, he starts with one, saying you ready. See, when Jesus first starts his earthly ministry in Matthew, he starts with one, saying you ready, repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand. When you say something is at hand and I know we don't speak like that, but for most of us we know what that means. What does that mean? It's right now. See, jesus didn't change the Bible. Think about it.
Speaker 1:Adam and Eve in Genesis. What was God's mission for Adam and Eve? It's Genesis 1, 26 and 27. So do have dominion of the earth, be fruitful and multiply. Go out there and make the rest of the world look like the garden. You know what Jesus' mission was Seek and save what is lost. It's the same mission. Though Jesus goes, the kingdom of heaven is here and now.
Speaker 1:Go out there into the darkness and make the darkness look like the light. It is literally the same thing. I've redeemed you from the curse of sin so that you may take the light into the darkness and redeem the rest of the darkness out of darkness. Make out there, look like in here. Well, if we're not contributing to the needs of the saints. Then how does in here look like? It looks like out there? So we're doing what the world is doing. We're stacking up for ourselves instead of looking out for each other. That's a thing of the world, not a thing of the church.
Speaker 1:The thing of the church is sitting here, going. What can I do to serve the people in here? That's why Serve Saturdays are so important. Listen, serve Saturdays aren't about the people we go and serve. Serve Saturdays are about us getting out of our own way and going and serving. See, listen to me very carefully. You have a job that is great. That is not serving, though you get paid to be there. As someone who works full-time at Mission Cent, it is not serving of my time to come in here and teach kids. I'm literally being paid to be here, and if I wasn't, guess where I wouldn't be. I would be somewhere else. That would pay me to be there. Like extreme, like extreme. But see, when we serve, we are acting like Jesus.
Speaker 1:And, like I said, I'm not making an argument for being stupid and unwise. I am simply asking you why are you holding back from what Jesus has given you? Or, as Jesus would say it like this in Matthew 22, 21. You ready, therefore, render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's? Or in Matthew 16, 26, he says this for what will it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his own soul? Cool, you got all the toys in the world. What good does that do you? Because guess what happens when you die. Someone else gets all the toys in the world. What good does that do you? Because guess what happens when you die. Someone else gets all your toys. So what did you gain?
Speaker 1:So, if that is contributing to the needs of the saints, giving your time and money, because the church isn't about you, let's look at what seeking to show hospitality is. If we were to play hide and seek, okay, and we're not going to right now, I was thinking about doing it as a sermon illustration, but I decided, especially in here, there's a lot of stuff, something's going to get broke. But if we were to play hide and seek and you were the person that had to count, okay, you're the counter. What is your job when you get to? Whatever number we decided on would give us enough time to go hide, find them, seek after them, right? Hence the name hide and seek.
Speaker 1:So when Paul is sitting here in this room going seek to show hospitality, do you think that's something you actively do? Or do you think that that's something that happens just like as you work through life? Like this is something you actively have to do? Some of you and I get it, some of you in here are really good about opening up your homes and lives to others. You are literally seeking to show hospitality. Some of you, I've been at your house and you didn't even go. Hey, do you want some water? That would be the opposite of seeking to show hospitality, and a lot of us we use that thing, right? Well, you know where the kitchen is. You could get your own water. That is not what the Bible is saying here, right? That is not what the Bible is saying here, right? The Bible is literally telling us, commanding us to seek to show that. Go out of your way to be a good host. Go out of your way, listen to create opportunities to be a good host. Like it's going farther than what we are sitting here thinking why, for the same reason we've been talking about the whole time, because this isn't about you, it's not about your comfort.
Speaker 1:How many times have I had people at my house and I literally had to put the air conditioning up because you know what, in the middle of summer, it's not funny when, like you have people in your house and they're like putting on sweaters or asking for a blanket Right before everyone got here. We were having a conversation because all of the males in this room went it's hot in here. Did anyone lower the air? The females were like it feels nice in here. Did anyone lower the air? The females were like it feels nice in here. What are you talking about? So you know what. I didn't go do Lower the air. Why? Because I'm seeking to show hospitality. It is definitely not because of my comfort. There's a reason why this fan is just blowing right down this aisle Because I am sweating right now, because it's hot in here right now, see, but to seek to show hospitality is this.
Speaker 1:I am literally going to go out of my way. And because I know he hates it, this 4th of July barbecue came up because I got a phone call from someone that went hey, can you announce this to everyone that's seeking to show hospitality? That is literally sitting here going. I'm going to create an event and then I'm going to invite people to come be a part of it. And see, let me ask you, over the past week of your life, over the past seven days, how have you sought to show hospitality? And if you're sitting here going, I didn't understand. You're doing the opposite of what the Bible tells you to do. Over the past seven days, who have you invited over to your house? Who have you been like, hey, let's go grab a cup of coffee or tea or a Mountain Dew. We can get a Polar Pop. That is showing hospitality. Right, it's 89 cents or 99 cents, I think, with inflation.
Speaker 1:Now, what about this? Hey, we're going to the beach. Do you want to go with us? What about this? Hey, we're going to the beach. Do you want to go with us? Like you guys realize, we live in a state that people pay, like their life savings, to come vacation in, right, how many of us take advantage of that? What about this? Hey, like you know what I'm, you know it's summer, I'm tired of already, of being at the house with my kids. So let me invite other kids and their families so that the other kids can entertain my kids and I can actually just get a break, and if you're a parent in here and you're like I don't do that, you're a liar.
Speaker 1:See, all of those are ways that we can seek to show hospitality, and that's what seeking is going out of your way to do it. Don't wait until we have a corporate event up here. Don't be like, hey, july 5th, we're having a movie night. Yes, absolutely. I want you to invite your family and friends to stuff like that, but, that being said, that isn't seeking. That's not you seeking to show hospitality, that's you going. Hey, my church will give you food and some refreshments and let you watch a movie. Seeking to show hospitality is what you do, though.
Speaker 1:Now the big pictures of both of these things that Paul is driving at here is simple. You ready, stop focusing on you. That is what Paul is driving at here is simple. You ready, stop focusing on you. That is what Paul is driving at. This isn't about you. Anytime I have heard someone go hey, I left the church because I wasn't being fed. My first question to them is simple who are you feeding, though? See, this isn't a consumer thing. This isn't a you come sit, listen to Christy and Kayla and Chris now sing as I say that. That's kind of a tongue twister. It's not. Sit here and just listen to what I'm saying and kind of put up with me for however long I ramble on and then all right, we'll see you later. Let's do it next week it's supposed to be hold on.
Speaker 1:What am I lacking in? What is the next degree of glory I need to be sanctified in? Where do I need to grow so that I can look more like Jesus? That's the whole point of this, and some of you you're past all the little kid stuff. You know what. You need to start doing the big kid stuff now. You need to start understanding that this doesn't exist for me and I need to give. I need to serve the way that Jesus serves. I need to love the way that Jesus loves. I need to start doing the things that the disciples were doing, because I need to stop being one of the 5,000 that Jesus fed and start being the disciples that were actually going around and feeding others. Jesus will give the fish and the bread. I'm good with that. What we need are people to pass it out, because who cares if we have all this stockpile of fish and bread if we have no one to go pass it out to the people. What good would it do? Like? Think about it On Sundays and I hate using this example because I hate the restaurant now but on Sundays Chick-fil-A is closed, right?
Speaker 1:You ever anyone in here have you ever drove into a Chick-fil-A parking lot on Sunday, forgetting that it was Sunday and that they were closed? Okay, so, most, so a lot of us have right. Let me ask you do they still have chicken sandwiches in there? Do they still have nuggets in there? They still have tenders, waffle fries, they still. And you know what, as much as I am not liking chick-fil-a anymore, they still have a really good sweet tea in there too. But does it do you any good when it's closed? No, you can't get it because it is closed. So unless you are planning on committing a felony and kicking in a window and then learning how to be an employee all by yourself, you know what you're not getting on Sunday Chick-fil-A.
Speaker 1:We treat the church the same way. Who cares about the life-giving hope that is found in Jesus? Who cares that Jesus can resurrect himself and resurrect the dead? Who cares that Jesus can restore marriages and restore families and work all sorts of miracles? Who cares that Jesus brings healing to the lame? Who cares that Jesus can do all of this if we're just keeping it in here? That is what Paul is driving at here. Contribute to the needs of the saints.
Speaker 1:Our mission for those of you that do not know is to seek and save the lost, but is to create opportunities for all disciples to do that. You know why we're opening a Nana sharing center? Because she went hey, let's do a sharing center. I promise you, if you came to me and went hey, I want to do this, I will work tirelessly until we figure out a way for you to do this. You know why we have a school? Because Debbie went hey, we should open our own school. Think about it. Anything and everything we do, someone at some point went we should do this, and then we went and did it. I am just waiting on someone to tell me how interested they are in barbecuing and find someone else to take over their actual responsibilities, and we'll have our own barbecue place too. We will put Sonny's and Four Rivers and Mission out of business.
Speaker 1:That is my goal, because our goal is to create opportunities for all disciples, and your things, let's be honest, will probably be different than my things, like some of you in here, the thought of, like, waking up super early in the morning and getting attacked by hordes and I do mean hordes of mosquitoes, just so that you might possibly catch a fish. Some of you are like that doesn't interest me, like I'll go sit at the beach and throw a rod in the water and it, you know, I'll reel that in. I'm good with that, you know, and just kind of soak in the sun and all that. But but all that other stuff that doesn't interest me, cool, then that ain't for you. But you know what you got to have some kind of an interest. You do something with your time, don't you? So how can we create that opportunity? Because that's what we're existing to do. We're sitting here going get in the game. This isn't about your consumption. This is about how you can produce for others, because that's what we're called to do. That's what the Bible commands us to do. And if you're not doing it, understand you're not affecting me, you're just ignoring what the Bible tells you to do. So I have no problem going cool, just be cool with going. Yeah, I know that I'm supposed to, I'm just not going to.
Speaker 1:When our kids were younger. Even now, there would be times where they would say certain things and if you're a parent in here, you get it right and I would make them go. No, no, no, no, no. Here's what I want you to say. Just tell Daddy, just look me right in the face and go. Daddy, shut up, I don't care what you have to say and, of course, as a child, right, they're not going to. Like JT might pull it now because he feels himself a little bit more, because you know we're the same size. But like, like, as a child, they'd be like I'm not going to say that, I'm not going to say that and I go. Why? It's what you're doing with your actions. Anyway, you're saying it without saying it, like when I tell you, hey, go, take out the trash, and then 15 minutes later I'm the one taking out the trash because you didn't. I would rather you come to me and go hey, daddy, here's the deal. I don't care what you have to tell me, because that's what you're saying with your actions.
Speaker 1:Some of you today, when you go to pray to Jesus, here's what I want you to do, jesus. I don't care what you have to tell me, because that's what you're doing with your actions. You are literally sitting here going. I don't care that it's in your Bible, I don't care that. This is what you commanded me to do. I'm going to do what I want to do, because it's what I want to do, like everybody, like you understand where I'm making that connection right, and then see how your relationship with Jesus actually continues to go, because, see, a lot of us in here we go. I don't feel Jesus. A lot of us in here we're going. Oh, you know, I do this and then this, and then I just I get nothing. Why are you in it? For you, jesus wasn't Like.
Speaker 1:Jesus literally went to the Father and went hey, if there is any way, allow this cup to pass from me. You know what Jesus is sitting there saying I don't want to have to do this, I don't want to get beat, I don't want to get spit on, I don't want to get flogged, I don't want to get nailed to a tree, I don't want to have to go through all of this. You know what he followed it up with, though but not my will, but your will be done. Here's the thing Jesus sometimes going to ask you to do things you don't want to do? Are you willing to sit here and go but not my will, but your will be done? Think about that. Or are we just stuck in? It's's my will, it's all about me, it's my enjoyment, it's my life.
Speaker 1:Um, hebrews would say this you were bought and paid for with a price. It ain't your life. That's why galatians 3 would tell us this that it is no longer I who live, but christ who lives in me. It's not my life, not if I'm a follower of Jesus, because Jesus says this deny yourself, pick up your cross and follow me daily, which means it's not my life anymore. So either come to a conclusion that, yes, I'm a disciple of Jesus and I'm going to start doing the things that Jesus has commanded me to do, or be honest with everyone, including yourself, and go. I'm just not a disciple of Jesus. If I really want to be a disciple of Jesus, come talk to me, like there's a whole thing we can go through, but if you're sitting here going, yeah, I follow Jesus, I'm a Christian. Start doing the things that Jesus commanded us to do. That's the big picture and what Paul is driving at.
Speaker 1:Stop focusing on you, because it's not about you. This is way bigger than any one of us in this room, and when we are doing these things, we have to focus on others and not ourselves. See, when I'm seeking to show hospitality, when I'm contributing to the needs of the saints, I can't think about me. My actions become outwardly focused, and that is what the church is about, right? Luke 19, 10 says it's simple Seek and save what is lost.
Speaker 1:So, as we close this morning, understand this that some of you in this room are failing at these things. Let me ask you, though, what are you going to do different this week to stop failing at these things? Let me ask you, though, what are you going to do different this week to stop failing at it? For some of you, let me say this Congratulations, you are absolutely bless you. For some of you, though, understand this, you are absolutely crushing this. Some of you are doing exactly all the things we just talked about, and if that's you and I'm trying new things here today I want to encourage you, I want to go, congratulations. I want to tell you amazing, keep doing it. But we're in one of those two camps, right? So I pray that we leave here changed.
Speaker 1:So, father, I ask and I pray that, as we move from here forward, that, god, if you're working on someone's heart right now, if you're sitting here right now, father, going you know what no, this was directed at you. That, father, you give people the courage to be able to go. You know what. I don't have to be like this anymore and I am going to that. Father, starting today, we contribute to the needs of the saints. Starting today, father, that we sit here and go. I'm going to seek and save what is lost. I'm going to seek to show hospitality. I'm going to create ways to do this, father, I just pray, if there's someone in here you are speaking with right now, that God, you allow them the opportunity to go. Yes, I will choose to do this, father. I ask and I pray all of this in Jesus' name, amen.