Getting near to those who are far

Isn’t it good to know that God loves you?
What difference does it make?

How does it make you feel?

Another question, 

• When you have discovered a funny clip on youtube, do you want to show it to your friends?
• When you discover a new restaurant which serves your favourite dish do you want to share it with your friends? 
• When you see a great film do you want to share it with friends?
• When you discover the meaning for living, the warmth of God’s love, the relief of forgiveness, is there not a little bit of you that wants to share this with your friends?
•  

I am working on the assumption that you don’t want to keep the best thing in the world to yourself but to share it.

 

So it is good to be here, it is good to be near to one another and it is good to live lives that lead us nearer to Jesus. But most people are not near – not near to us and not near to Jesus. They are far, and so for them to hear of God’s love for them, we must get near to them. Getting near to those who are far. 

 

Acts 1:1-11

 

It is not very English to sell aggressively, to evangelise. We are a tolerant country, you do your thing, I will do mine. Don’t try and force your beliefs on me. But on the other hand we are being sold to all the time – whether it be politicians seeking our vote, extremists trying to change our thinking or advertising telling us that we need this perfume and that car.

 

If you have chosen to follow Jesus you have realised that this His truth is worth more than gold, that this is good news that everyone gains by, you have realised that people’s lives and eternities hang in the balance. Wouldn’t we would love everyone to experience his forgiveness and peace, to be given fulfilment and a reason to live?

 

Jesus promises us, “you will be my witnesses”. He sort-of assumes that we will want to tell people about him. He is also saying, you will leak – what I have put inside you will spill out. And as people come to know Jesus, one of the first things they want to do is to join with others who follow him to learn and celebrate together. This is the church.

 

We believe we have been called to grow a church community here in Leeds so that many, many people can be saved into a new life with Jesus. That means we expect the church to grow in numbers and effectiveness.
Part of our purpose is to introduce people to Jesus. If we do that and do it well some people will end up becoming part of our church. So we will grow, we will be able to do even more to impact our community for Him. So if even more people meet him through us then we will expect more people to join us.

 

At the beginning of the year we asked God through a week of prayer and fasting to speak to us about what this community has been called to do. One of the promises we felt he gave us was that we could expect to gather 70 people to the Vineyard in the coming year. Kate had a dream about 70 people joining us and in my devotions, at the same time I read about the 70 returning, rejoicing as they saw what God had been doing.

 

Although I don’t believe in magic numbers I do think God has given us this as a way of focussing our minds on what we are doing here. So our theme of the moment is “Gathering” and we are going to do everything we can to prepare the way for 70 people to join us. Some of those 70 have already become part of the community here. Others are nearby and thinking about it. Most are nowhere near us.

Part one: This week I want to talk about getting near to those who are far.
Part two: Kate is going to talk about how we set about sharing the good news. Talking to God about people, talking to people about God.
Part three: The week after I am going to talk about ensuring that we are a welcoming community and explaining how someone decides to follow Jesus.
Part four: The week after that I will be talking about some of the things that slow us down in getting near to those who are far. 

When I say getting near to those who are far, what do I mean? It is a bit like the phrase we use, just walk across the room. We introduced this a few years ago in a series called “Stepping Out”. You can find it on the web site.
We sit happily in our small groups and here on Sunday mornings. We get to see our friends, worship together, give and receive prayer, learn good stuff. But the people who also need to share this experience aren’t here, they are there.

 

2 Corinthians 1:3-5

We have been comforted. We have received forgiveness and the amazing grace of God. And that comfort is a great gift we can then share with those around us in need of comfort. Some may never decide to follow Jesus (as far as you know) but they may still experience his comfort through your friendship and neighbourliness.

 

How do we get those who are over there, far from God, to come over here, to join us in worshipping him and knowing his comfort in their lives? I don’t mean just geographically but relationally. Some of you here would say that although you are physically near this group of people you are far away from God – although perhaps you are journeying towards him.

We could yell across the city, “oy, come here.” We could send them messages. We could a poster up outside our buildings. But why would someone, living their own life over there have any interest in our little huddle over here?
We need to get over there.

Last Sunday I was sitting at home thinking about going out for a walk. I did a cost-benefit analysis. 

• Cost: cold, rain, wind, effort, time.
• Benefit: exercise, invigorating, fresh air, health, coming home afterwards

In the end I stayed in – and worked on this sermon!

We need to do a cost-benefit analysis for getting near to those who are far, or to walk across the room:  

• Cost: time & energy, effort, risk, embarrassment, rejection, not knowing what to do, reading/study, money, complications, lifestyle challenges 
• Benefit: adventure, seeing a smile, watching healing, spiritual growth, fulfilment/ confidence, being part of a greater purpose, honour of being God’s agent, dealing in eternity, world changer
  

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How do we get close to those who are far?

Don’t get weird for a start. Live a normal life. You don’t have to wear special clothes or just listen to worship music all the time and read a pocket bible on the bus. You can do those things if you want but don’t be surprised if people go and sit by someone who is wearing normal clothes and reading the paper. Talk about things that interest you – football or cooking or handbags or cars or the Voice – as well as faith (next week).

 

Anyone who hasn’t found Jesus has a life deficit – a huge life deficit – without him there is no ultimate purpose or power in our lives.

 

And just like you and me people also have needs. Some needs are very practical – as well as spiritual. Maybe they need their car mending or some help with the kids. Maybe they don’t know how to put a virus checker on the PC. Maybe they are just lonely or hungry. Maybe they suffer from panic attacks or can’t cope with office politics. Some will be trying to get what they need by drinking too much, taking drugs, watching pornography, getting into fights.
What they all need is some help. And because they are precious to God and he loves them, we love them too. They are our friends, whatever happens. And because we know God’s comfort in our hearts it overflows to others as we seek to help them.

You don’t have to hit them over the head with the bible or preach the gospel at them. Just help them. If the computer won’t work introduce them to one of our IT whizz kids here. If they are struggling with the children you can babysit or take them to Belly Buttons. If they are harassed at work you can listen. If they are in debt we have money advisers. If they get into a fight you can take them to the hospital or feed them if they are hungry. If they are lonely you can be a neighbour.

 

When you get close to someone and offer them some help you get to know them and they get to know you. When you know someone you might become friends. And one day you may get the opportunity to share some good news with them and introduce them to Jesus. And some time after that you might find that you are helping me baptise them into a new life!

You might not see that result – but you might. We still love people and show them very practical friendliness and help. We pray for them whatever happens. Each person is precious and loved by God whether or not they agree with what you say.

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Acts 1:1-11

 
It starts facing inward – Jesus spends several weeks with the disciples explaining about the kingdom of God. He says, stay put until the Holy Spirit comes.. When he thinks they have had enough he transforms their perspective by saying,

 

I have been here with you helping you, preaching the good news, healing and saving people, now it is over to you. I will be with you by the power of my Spirit but you are going to be my hands, feet and lips from now on. 

 

In verse 2 it talks about the day he was taken up to heaven and then later in v. 9 it says he was taken from them. Although he had to go somewhere, we are not meant to think that he is just up there sitting on a cloud. It means he is in the kingdom of heaven, the place of his residence and we get a glimpse into that kingdom through the lives of the disciples as well as in our own lives when we see the sick healed, when we sense his presence in worship, when we are awestruck by his creation.

They don’t get it at first, it takes some angels to turn up and drag them into the present.

Look guys he is with you here by his Spirit. When he comes in power you need to get on and do what he did, everywhere. When someone needs healing it will be your hands that stretch out to bless them, when someone needs counsel it will be your words that bring his wisdom, when someone needs feeding it will be your obedience that puts a meal in their stomach, when someone needs rescuing it will be you that throws out the life belt, when the demons needs to be got rid of it will be your faith that casts it out.

 

In church terminology this episode is called the ascension but what it is really about is the transfer of God’s commission to save the world from one man, Jesus, into the hands of all of us.

 

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Deciding to follow Jesus is a life changing and life-saving decision. Don’t do it if you aren’t willing to give up everything for him and his mission – it will cost you, it will hit your wallet, your diary, your energy levels. But you do get to be part of a mission to change the world. You get to be used by God to make a difference for good in your city, your workplace, your neighbourhood, your family.

When you get near to those who are far you get to comfort others with the comfort with which you have been comforted.
The one who comforts us also sends us. The king of all creation has a plan to restore his kingdom and he has chosen to send his Spirit to empower you and me to do it with him. He is our commander and leader and one of the ways he wages battle is to rescue people into his kingdom and into the family of his church.

God has called us to gather – to gather 70 people to his family here in the Vineyard this year. Would you like to be a gatherer? You have received his comfort, would you like to bring that comfort to others?

Think of someone you can help, be a friend to, listen to, pray for. Maybe you know them already, long-time friends or family, maybe they are in your life now. Maybe they could be if you walked across the room. Write their name down somewhere that will remind you to pray for them. 

 

We can receive the presence and power of his Spirit to go to those who are far with compassion, help, friendship and the best news of all.

• Shall we get near to those who are far?
• Shall we give people the opportunity to find out about Jesus?
• Shall we grow a community that will change the face of Leeds?