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Reality Church: Messages from the Boo= k of Acts

Part 8:=

“= A New Window on the World”=

Acts 15= : 1-2; 6-20

Matthew= 12: 46-50

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POWERPOINT ONE: (Picture)~A view framed by a windo= w.

A man looked out the window on= e day and saw that it was a beautiful day.

He called to his wife who was = at the other end of the house and said, “&n= bsp; Dear, it is a beautiful day, why don’t we go outside and get s= ome exercise?” She looked o= ut the window and yelled back, “Yes it’s a great day. Why don’t you change your cl= othes and go outside. When I finish= here, I change my clothes and met you there.”

As he looked out the window he= saw the tennis courts across the road. As she looked out the kitchen window, she saw the swimming pool in t= he back yard.

When each of them has changed = clothes and met outside for exercise they looked at each other and discovered that = they were dressed very differently.

Because the window through whi= ch you look has an enormous impact on your behavior.

That window is called your worldview. =

Your worldview is the way you understand the world and the way the world works.

It is made up of your “s= ee level.” = &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; = &nb= sp;

Your worldview is the way you under= stand the world and the way the world works.

<= span style=3D'font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'>R= 20;SEE-LEVEL”

· Environment—(Watts in L. A.—hills of= W. V. or Haiti)

· Education—6 grade--Harvard

· Experience---only child…one of 9….poor/rich.

You window is framed by the li= fe you have known.

Your worldview is shaped by th= e way you were. Yet you and I are n= ot trapped.

In Jesus Christ we can become new.

I have come, Christ proclaims,= to give you and new heart, a new mind………………= ; a new view.

I once considered everything f= rom a human point of view…no more.

POWERPOINT TWO: “From now on, ther= efore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer that way. So if anyone is in Christ, there i= s a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new.” 2 Corinthians 5: = 16

What we are seeking is a Biblical worldview…a biblical window to know the world God so loves and sends us into. There was trouble at the potluck in Jerusalem because people saw the world so differently.

POWERPOINT THREE:

OLD WINDOW

Keep Kosher and be circumcised.

Stay away from anybody not Jewish. (meaningful and intimate relationships)

Jesus Christ for us and not them.

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NEW WINDOW

What you eat and your family linage, your bloodline isn’t important anymor= e.

Every person you meet is a brother or sister.

Jesus Christ is for everyone. All.<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> Everybody.=

Once the church heard the visions and experiences of Pe= ter and Paul beginning in Acts 10 and culminating here is Acts 15…realizi= ng the uncircumcised Gentiles could be genuine Christians, they would never see the world the same again.

Peter and Paul had to quite literally leave part of the= ir scripture behind to follow the leading of God in Christ Jesus.

Peter and Paul had to leave behind a window that was thousands of years old…a worldview that said that they had exclusive claim on God’s favor.

Jesus had g= iven them a new window on the world,

a window wh= ere compassion, hope and unconditional love, grace and forgiveness reigned.

POWERPOINT FOUR: THE JESUS WINDOW. (put these up one at a time)= =

THE GREAT COMMANDMENT: “You shall love the Lord you= r God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And the second i= s like it. You shall love your neigh= bor as yourself.” <= /o:p>

Matthew 22: 37-39

THE GREAT COMMISSION: “All authority in heaven and= on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of = the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.” Matthew 28: 18-20

JESUS’ NEW COMMANDMENT:<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> “I give you a new commandmen= t, that you love one another. Ju= st as I have loved you, you also should love one another. John 13:34 (=

To grow gre= at church.

I have come= to believe that the trouble at the potluck in Jerusalem and any of the discomf= ort, misunderstanding and challenge we have had with change 9n communities of fa= ith is simply because people often see the world differently….=

This morning I am asking you to come and look with me out the Jesus window…gather up some of the life lessons from this Book of Acts̷= 0; to see how your windows stand up beside a biblical worldview. Look out t= hree windows.

POWERPOINT FIVE:

Ø Window of purpose: What is the purpose of the church? <= /o:p>

Ø Window of character and comfort: How does our Christi= an character or comfort define what we do--our priorities?

Ø Window of faith: How does our faith shape our life together in Jesus Christ?

POWERPOINT SIX:

<= b>WINDOW OF PURPOSE

(Bill, if you can I’d li= ke the two world views parallel to one another/ in columns and the points w= ould go up one at a time with it’s opposing view—Same for PPT 7 &= ;8)

BIBLICAL WORLD VIEW = &nb= sp; =

ü The main purpose of Christians=

in the church is to make disciples.=

ü Serve the world.

ü Eager for everyone to know God=

ü Drawn to the unchurched.<= /o:p>

ü You are to go into the world.<= o:p>

ü You expect the pastor/ spiritu= al leaders to train you for ministry. (Eph 4)

ü Your spiritual gifts empower y= ou for God’s work.

(Help people reach their full potiential)

OPPOSING WORLDVIEW<= /span>

ü The main purpose of the Christ= ians

in the church is to provide a = place of fellowship

and share God’s love for= each other.

ü Serve the church.

ü Eager to know everyone.

ü Loyal to one another.

ü You believe the world should c= ome to you.

ü You believe you pastor was hir= ed to do the ministry.

ü You serve because you have been drafted and elected.

BIBLICAL VIEW..to make disciples. Called out to form= a distinct witness. The witness= is about Jesus Christ, not the church or the denomination. Because of their life with Christ, empowered by his Spirit, they purposely reach out as his body to others

v&nb= sp; Biblical attitude is always: let’s bring abundant life to others first, and then we, too, will have abundant life.

v&nb= sp; Their strategy is always: firs= t go out among the people of modern culture to forge new links of love and care = and then invite people into companionship with the Body of Christ.

= OPPOSING VIEW…churches that feel they are called out to form a distinct society. They see them= selves as an institution in which the members all follow certain rules, undertake various institutional responsibilities and enjoy specific privileges.<= /o:p>

v&nb= sp; Their attitude is always: Let’s take care of members f= irst and if there is any resources left over, we’ll reach out to the outsi= der.

v&nb= sp; Their strategy is always: First bring the outsider into the institution; then, once they are members, they can enjoy the benefits of the club. Easum/Bandy (“Wherever the apostles went riot or revival broke out!”)<= /o:p>

POWERPOINT SEVEN:

WINDOW OF CHARACTER AND COMFOR= T: how does our Christian Character define what we do---our priorities?=

BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW

ü God is more interested in your character than your comfort.

ü Trust people.

ü People are more important than= the system.

ü Willing to live with uncertain= ty.

ü Allow experiments.<= /span>

ü You give back from God’s blessings.

OPPOSING WORLDVIEW

ü You want comfort at all costs.=

ü Don’t trust people.=

ü The system is more important t= han people.

ü Want guarantees from the begin= ning.

ü Stick to the proven.

ü You give to the church budget.=

BIBLICAL VIEW…to experie= nce Jesus is to take on Jesus’ worldview. “Too many people come to Jes= us and then expect Jesus to be converted to their worldview.” Slaughter.

v&nb= sp; To get your heart beating with= the rhythm of God’s heart.

v&nb= sp; The Biblical attitude is always: what can I do, what c= an we do today to cause the future to be what God wants it to be? God has given us just the right pe= ople and this is just the right time to live a life in loving partnership with o= ur God. People need to be set fr= ee and then, held accountable. The h= ighest value is sold-out obedience to a God-given mission.

v&nb= sp; The Biblical strategy is: Mini= stry anywhere, to anyone at any time as long as it fit’s Jesus’ worldview. Only guarantees are God’s love and grace…open every door, try every window. For the sake of the gospel I will = try anything once.

OPPOSING WORLD VIEW…if anything here makes me uncomfortable it cannot be of God. I am willing to perpetuate a heritage. The church should b= e run like a conservative business for the customers it already has.

v&nb= sp; Their attitude always is: Life is difficult enough..church s= hould be peaceful..a refuge…the one place where I know the score ahead of time. Where everything stays = the same and the rules are clear. Happiness is the highest value and if any of our trusted members are unhappy we find out why and stop doing whatever it is that has caused discomfort .

v&nb= sp; Their strategy is: stick with what we know works. Order, limit messiness.. We must control, coordinate, vote upon and know about everything before it happens.= So many things can go wrong—minimize risk. Po= st WW2: General definition of success: work hard to create security and comfort with the minimum of risk.

POWERPOINT EIGHT: WINDOW OF FAITH<= /b>

BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW<= /span>

ü You believe God can.

ü Willing to risk what we have.<= o:p>

ü Will do whatever is necessary = to fulfill God’s will.

ü Willing to live without clear = maps of the future.

ü You believe God provisions wha= t God calls forth.

ü Future more important than the= past.

OPPOSING WORLDVIEW<= /span>

ü You believe God can’t.

ü Protect what we have.

ü Your own priorities are more important than Gods’.

ü Must have proven trails.<= /o:p>

ü You ask, “What is it goi= ng to cost?”

ü Past is more important than the future.

BIBLICAL VIEW…by today&#= 8217;s standards Jesus’ 3 year ministry would be considered a failure. Basically had 120 members in his church. He ministered to the multitudes but he majored on just a handful of men and women. To these he promised and gave powe= r to change the world. Beginning t= o pray for the 120! 120 who are will= ing to live out of the window of biblical faith.

Peter and Paul went to a potlu= ck and gathered people around a new window on the world. And said, “Look and see. There goes our God! Anyone willing to follow? Risky, no guarantees, maps aren= 217;t even that good…but there goes our God. Want to be a apart of God’s = future and sit at home looking through the album of God’s past?”<= /o:p>

From Roald Dahl—The Minp= ins

Little Billy’s mother was always telling him exactly what he was allowed to do and what he was not allowed to do. All things he = was allowed to do were boring and all the things he was not allowed to do were exciting. One of the things h= e was NEVER, NEVER, allowed to do, the most exciting of all was to go through the garden gate all by himself and explore the world beyond.<= /p>

Our God has opened the garden = gate. The Book of Acts is the picture of= what happened outside the garden gate as the disciples for the first time journe= yed with God. <= /p>
They left a life of walking on= eggs shells to walk on water!

They began to respond to the S= pirit of Jesus just like the first disciples responded to Jesus himself…they left their nets and followed him…into the deep and uncharted waters of God. Have you ever noticed ho= w many Christians that return from a mission trip never look quite the same?<= /o:p>

Went back to church one Saturd= ay night in Marysville…we had gotten a call that the youth mission team = were only a few minutes away…gone two weeks caring for the street poor of S.F..

When they arrived…one di= rty, sad looking group of kids and several of the adults looked like a IV would = be inappropriate. Sat on the cur= b with one sophomore…talked a bit…had a strange, lovely look. “Pastor Rody..but I can̵= 7;t explain it…it was so good.”

“You look tired, I said.= “Yes, I am,” he said. “But it is the be= st tired I have ever been.”

He had found the windows of Je= sus to look through for awhile and it hadn’t been a safe trip, hadn’t = been an easy two weeks..but he had received abundant life…just like the Lo= rd said he would.

When I’m done I like kno= w I am the best tired I’ve ever been.

No matter the result…to = say I followed you Lord…I was faithful.

Wouldn’t you like to say= the same.

It will all depend on the wind= ow you choose to look out on this world.

FINAL SLIDE: A framed window with these words f= ramed inside.

PURPOSE CHARACTER FAITH<= /p>