WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? Restoration Fellowship, November 13, 2016

CONNECT

We have survived one of the most contentious elections in history, or at least I think we have!  If the statistics are true at least half of you are mad and half of you are glad!

Our country may be the most divided since the Civil War. In fact, some are wondering if we are facing another civil war with all the unrest in the street.

TENSION

The church in America has not escaped unscathed. The overwhelming support of the evangelical church for the president-elect is causing some to question or outright reject the evangelical church today, even some voices within the church!

Hannah Anderson, Sometimes a Light:

“So evangelical gatekeepers, what's it feel like to win the White House and lose the Church?”

Preston Yanez, Anglican blogger:

“So I guess I'm not an evangelical because I'm not whatever this is.”

Brandi Miller, Holy Mischief:

“I will not be mortified at the death of evangelicalism. We are so caught up in the empire that we have become it.”

Shane Claiborne, Red Letter Christians:

“Trying to mix Christianity with a political party can be sort of like mixing ice cream with horse manure. It might not harm the manure, but it sure messes up the ice cream.”

While I do not agree with the above statements, they do sound a warning sign that the true message of the Church and the Gospel of Jesus Christ is in danger of being compromised. There have been times this week that I felt like a compromiser because of my vote.  I'm not going to tell you how I voted, but that feeling could have come regardless who you voted for!

The root of this accusation is the enemy! He is the accuser of the brethren and he will use anything to blind people to the good news of Jesus and soil the reputation of His Bride!

2 Corinthians 4:3-4 NKJV But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.

SOLUTION

What do we do in response to this attack?  You see, brothers and sisters, when people criticize us we need to ask the Lord if there is something in that criticism we need to hear.  We cannot forget that...

John 18:36 (NKJV) Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.”

For some weeks I have had a phrase ruminating in my heart. I believe it is a word for us.

“Be the Church!”

God is calling us to demonstrate to the world His power and love.

Ephesians 3:10 NKJV to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places,

Ephesians 3:10 NLT God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.

INSTRUCTION

Ephesians 1:22-23 NKJV and He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

1.  We are His body.

Close your eyes and imagine what Jesus looks like... He looks like us!

Do what Jesus did…

Matthew 4:23 NKJV and Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.

Matthew 9:35 NKJV Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

Acts 10:38 NKJV how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

Now some would say that Jesus only did things that were kind and gentle, that he never judged or condemned, that he never spoke harshly.  Not!

Mark 1:14–15 (NKJV) Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, ¹⁵and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”

John 2:13–16 (NKJV) Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. ¹⁴And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business. ¹⁵When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables. ¹⁶And He said to those who sold doves, “Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!” (Jesus did this at the beginning and the end of His earthly ministry.)

John 8:10–11 (NKJV) When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” ¹¹She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”

Go where Jesus went…

Matthew 11:19 NKJV The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is justified by her children.

James 1:27 NKJV Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

We are His fullness.

Matthew 10:1 NKJV And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.

Matthew 14:16 NKJV But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”

We fill empty places.

Empty tummies, homes with no love, children with no parents, people with no place to call their own, lives with no purpose…

Matthew 25:34-46...

James 2:15-16 NKJV If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?

We often pray, “Jesus, bless that person”.  Jesus answers, “You bless ‘em!”

INSPIRATION

T.D. Jakes makes this observation…

Matthew 14:19 NKJV Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes.

Matthew 26:26 NKJV and as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”

When God uses something, He blesses it, breaks it, and gives it out!

 ACTION STEPS

1.     Find an empty place.  

2.     Fill it.

3.     Be the answer to your own prayer!

Illustration: Put feet to your prayers!

There has always been a conflict between what we call the evangelical church and what has been referred to as the 'social gospel' churches.  Most of those I quoted at the beginning of this message are from the latter perspective.  They are part of the body.  Most of us are from the former perspective and we are part of the body as well.  It is not an 'either - or' proposition!  We preach the Gospel and we care for the hurting.  We are called to do both.  There is an old saying...

"Preach the Gospel and, if necessary, use words!"

HASTAG #filltheemptyplace