Living On Mission with Paul

Paul must have been quite a character. People either loved him or hated him. He messed with the religious belief systems much the same way that Jesus did and therefore got treated pretty much the same as Jesus did by religious people. They were intrigued at first and then became angry when their comfort zone was invaded. (Because of this, he often didn’t stay in one place very long.) I can almost hear them now, “What do you mean we’ve had this wrong all along? Stop messin’ with our traditions!” Regardless of whether he was being loved or hated, Paul was always on mission. He knew what he was sent to do; preach Christ. And he did so—boldly, fearlessly, and in a culturally relevant way.

That’s why I love these stories in Acts 17. They show us that Paul knew how to work with the culture wherever he went. In Thessalonica he used his knowledge of the customs and beliefs of the Jews as a launching pad to tell the story of Jesus. In Berea he again went to the synagogue and started preaching about Jesus, knowing that they would continue to study the scriptures to determine if he was right or wrong even though he was only there a short while.  In Athens, he recognized that, “All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas,” so he found a way to weave the story of Jesus into their daily discussions. (Acts 17:21)

Paul was smart and used the culture of his day find ways to preach Jesus. He didn’t try to win people by doing something completely foreign to them. He didn’t rush out and bring Billy Graham and his gigantic crusade team into town. He met the people where they were and found culturally relevant ways to bring the good news of Jesus to them.  He didn’t soft-pedal the message in order to fit in culturally; he boldly proclaimed Jesus as Messiah, the word of God, and showed how God has been at work, “…so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.” (Acts 17:27)

We have been sent by God to proclaim the good news.  All of us. Let’s ask the Holy Spirit to help us identify ways that we can use the culture of our city/workplace/neighborhood to bring the love of Jesus to those around us.

Let’s practice living on mission and get caught RedHanded – LovingOurCity.

Pastor Angela

Living On Mission with Jeremiah and the Exiles

The prophet Jeremiah was given a message from God to His people.  “This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon:  “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce.  Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”  (Jeremiah 29:4-7)

Exiles are outside of their home country, not by choice. Often exiles have been banished from their home country as a means of punishment. Notice in the passage above that God said HE carried the people into exile. (A result of sin.) As Christians, we are citizens of the Kingdom of God. It could be said that we are living as exiles because we are not living in our spiritual home country. That perspective makes this passage very relevant to our lives today.  God wants us to engage in life and community where He has placed us; it’s a call to live incarnationally—among the people, and to ask God for good things for them.

God also gives this incredibly comforting word for those who are living as exiles; He will listen to our prayers and He will be found when we seek Him. “This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.  I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.” (Jeremiah 29:10-14)

In the passage above we also find that this God-induced stint in exile also came with a promise to bring them back home. Sound familiar? Jesus promised that He would return and take us to be with Him forever. In a very real sense, we will be living in exile until Jesus returns and we finally experience the full Kingdom of God. Meanwhile, what should we do? Pray for the cities where God has placed us. Know that He hears our prayers and desires for us to seek and find Him. Look for the day of His return and pray, “Your Kingdom come…on earth as it is in heaven.”

Let’s practice living on mission and get caught RedHanded – LovingOurCity.

Pastor Angela

Living On Mission with James, John, and Jesus

I sometimes see the earthly ministry of Jesus through rose colored glasses, as if everything was perfect. The crowds loved Him.  The disciples adored Him.  He healed people.  He fed people.  He brought goodness everywhere He went.  What’s not to love, right?  Well, the truth is that Jesus really was loved, but He faced opposition. Sinners loved Him. Religious people, not so much. He messed with their beliefs and traditions and that was very upsetting.  He rocked the boat.  He upset the apple cart—right along with the tables of the money changers.

Earlier this week, Pastor Amy pointed out that one of the reasons that the Samaritans didn’t welcome Jesus was because He was going to Jerusalem instead of worshipping at their beloved Mount Gerizim. Were they offended?  Could they have been hoping that Jesus would endorse their religious traditions?  Perhaps they decided that their way was the only right way and that everyone else must therefore be wrong.

Whatever their reason was for opposing/rejecting Jesus, James and John decided that it was judgment time.  They wanted to call down fire from heaven to burn up those rotten Samaritans.  But, Jesus rebuked them and made it very clear that judgment was NOT their job.  It’s not our job either.  In fact, Jesus is so very patient that He is not in a hurry to bring judgment to anyone. In 2 Peter 3 we learn that His judgment is coming and it is inevitable, but verse 9 says, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”  He is delaying judgment.

Living missionally means we are joining with Jesus, acting as agents of redemption; wanting everyone to come to repentance instead of judgment. Just like Jesus, we may also encounter opposition and/or rejection, and it might come from religious people. They might not agree with the way we raise our hands, love our neighbors, feed the poor, welcome strangers, or with our stance on certain social justice issues.  We may not like or agree with their dress code, politics, the way they sing their hearts out in raucous praise, or the way they cut their grass on Sunday. But, we must remember that it is not our job to seek or pronounce judgment on people or to call for their destruction. We love, we pray, we ask for salvation, we always seek redemption.

So, the next time we face opposition, go ahead and call down fire from heaven!  Let’s just make sure we’re asking for the fire of the Holy Spirit out of love and for the purpose of redemption.  I often pray, “Pour out your Spirit, Lord, on your people. With your Holy fire, burn away everything that isn’t of you. Draw us to saving faith and fill us with Your presence.”

Let’s practice living on mission and get caught RedHanded – LovingOurCity.

Pastor Angela

Maintain Love for Your City - A Letter from Pastor Todd

Dear PoC,

How well do you maintain love for your city?  I’m sure we all enjoy little flourishes of compassion now and again, but how consistently are you able to maintain a heart for the boys, girls, men and women in Bloomington/Normal and the surrounding area?  From time to time I hear things that shock me as people tell me about how they occasionally harbor ill-will against drivers, fellow employees/bosses, government workers, store clerks, etc.  They share thoughts and feelings that, while honest, aren’t very kind.  The thing that shocks me isn’t their words, it’s that I know they are good people, with kind hearts, who have joined in many efforts to love our city.  They simply need . . . to maintain that love through a close walk with Jesus, our Lord.  The closer we get to Jesus our Love, the more we are filled with His love for others.

It’s a common problem.  There are a lot of Christians who walk around completely oblivious to the fact that their “check engine” light is on.  In Luke 9, James and John remember a time when Isaiah called down fire on some resisters.  So, when the city of Samaria refuses to let Jesus and His disciples pass through on their way to Jerusalem, James and John show some ugly shades of bad attitude and resentment in their heart by asking, “Should we call fire down on Samaria?”  Jesus, of course, replies, “Um . . . no . . . not today . . . not any day . . . no need for fire balls, James and John . . . but, you might want to check your attitude, your heart . . . your check heart light is on, Buddies!”

I was sitting with an elderly man who was in his 90s once.  He was a decades-old believer and he and I were talking about the state of the world.  He said, “Oh, Todd, I just keep hoping and praying that Jesus returns soon so that this old world can get what’s comin’ to ‘em.”  I just nodded in agreement, just sure that every word that came out of his mouth would be dripping with wisdom, but then thought, “Wait!  What?  No.”  I laughed and said, “Do you really mean that?  Do you really hope that people in the world, ‘get what’s comin’ to ‘em’?”  He paused and thought, then said, “Well, I suppose that doesn’t sound very nice, does it?”  No . . . no, it doesn’t.  Maintenance needed.  It can sneak up on even the most saintly God-lover.

This Sunday we’re going to look closer at this story . . . forgive those who have hurt us . . . ask God to help us show kindness . . . ask the Lord to remove any wickedness in us . . . request that the Lord checks all of the systems of our heart, soul, mind, and strength so that we can maintain a Spirit-filled love for our city.

You All Rock!!!!!  Invite like crazy!  See you there!!

Pastor Todd

P.S.  Thank you for loving your city today by passing out 3500 bottles of water.  That was fun!  Loved serving with you!  Let’s keep it up.  It just feels right, doesn’t it?

On Mission with Daniel and the Boys

Jerusalem and the land of Judah had been overtaken.  Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were outstanding young Israelites who were brought to Babylon to be trained in the ways of the Babylonians for three years prior to serving King Nebuchadnezzar. They were surrounded by strange customs, languages, and religious beliefs. The officials even changed their names. Surrounded by an unfamiliar (and evil) world they remained faithful to the one true God and were His witnesses. They became influencers in the kingdom by finding favor and earning a solid reputation with the officials and the king.  They also maintained their relationship with God and held tightly to the good news that their God was THE God and able to deliver them.

Favor + Reputation = Influence

Almost immediately upon their arrival these four young men found favor with the officials. Psalm 5:12 says, “For you bless the righteous, O Lord; you cover him with favor as with a shield.” (or a fireproof suit) Because of the favor, they had the opportunity to build a credible reputation. They proved that their eating habits were healthier than the royal eating plan. They proved that through God they could interpret dreams better than anyone Babylon had to offer.  They proved that their beliefs in the one true God were solid enough to carry them – literally – through any fiery trial.  These fellas were up to their eyeballs in credibility and they wound up with great influence in the kingdom because of it.

The Gospel

Wait. What? Back up a minute. What could these Old Testament fellas know about the Gospel?  Well, this story is a beautiful example of what God’s desire has been all along: to rescue and redeem His people. That’s the heart of the Good News! Obviously these four young men didn’t have the entire picture, but they had a very real relationship with a very real God who would deliver them.

How can we use this story to help us live on mission today?  These four Israelites were thrust into a new world but they didn’t conform to it. They remained faithful to God.  We, too, find ourselves living in a world that doesn’t understand or even know about the Kingdom we were born into.  Instead of being influenced by the world we live in, we must remain faithful to our King and the ways of his Kingdom. Our mission is to share the Good News and to make disciples, teaching others to live as we live – shaped by the beliefs, customs, and practices of the Kingdom of God, not of this world.  As we remain faithful to God, His favor will open doors for us to build a credible reputation and earn influence in our communities so that we can act as agents of the Gospel of redemption. 

Let’s practice living on mission and get caught RedHanded – LovingOurCity.

 

Pastor Angela

Let's Do This! - A Letter from Pastor Todd

Dear PoC Family,

Ok, here we go . . . 

This week my family I went to eat at a local restaurant.  We were busy ordering and slowly realized that the lady taking our order looked familiar.  I asked Kim if she knew who the lady was and Kim said, “I think it might be . . . Excuse me, Miss . . . are you our . . .”  And the lady responded, “Your neighbor?  Yes.”  

After just finishing our 6 week PoC Conversation on being more missional, I thought, “Ok, let’s do this!”

Now, I should tell you that I’ve met this particular neighbor once before.  Actually, I backed into her car with my Jeep.  I’m don’t pretend to be a genius, but I’m pretty sure that this doesn’t make the best first impression.  We exchanged insurance info and all is well now, but we really don’t see each other that often.  So, imagine our surprise when we found out that they own the restaurant where we were eating.

Kim looked at our neighbor, Michelle, and said, “I’m so sorry, but we have been terrible neighbors.  We haven’t welcomed you or invited you over.  We would sure like to do a better job with that.”  Michelle said, “Oh, I know, I feel the same way.  We see you guys coming and going.  We’re always busy.  My husband and I were just talking the other day about getting to know our neighbors.”

Can you flippin’ believe that!?!??!?!!

Our Father is heaven just served up the sweetest missional opportunity!!  It’s almost as if he wants to make this missional stuff easy for us.  It’s as if there’s a boat load of joy in our call to Love.  Our.  City.  Awesome!!

Kim and I have already decided to eat there again . . . perhaps on Father’s day . . . and hopefully we’ll get a chance to talk to Michelle again and set something up.  I just feel like something missional is about to happen as we begin to do life together more and more.

Let me switch gears just a little and remind you that this week is our Point of Change Vision Sunday.  You’ll get a chance to meet the staff, hear the history and vision of the church, as well as celebrate new life with membership and baptism.  It’s gonna be awesome.  We’ll also be passing out our new PoC T-Shirts.  They look awesome!!!  Please join me inviting LIKE CRAZY.  Everyone you know can learn about your church and get a T-shirt.  Please work the phones, text, email, and visit.  We want people to know what God is doing at PoC.

And, try to put yourself in my shoes.  Imagine having the responsibility of delivering the message on Vision Sunday, a message on the PoC Vision.  Imagine families sitting around the lunch table saying, “Did that pastor really just preach a message on loving our neighbors?  Shouldn’t that be rather obvious?”  Think about it, in 20-25 minutes there needs to be a sermon that “fleshes-out” a rather simple concept and congregation charge.  How would you do it?  How would you preach, “Love your neighbor” to a room full of people who are really only excited to get their mitts on some coolio new t-shirts?  Well, I don’t know about you, but I’ve decided that I’m going to tell a story.

Join us Sunday as I tell the story of Seth and Stacy, two Christians who made a decision to live their lives on mission using the regular rhythms of life like story . . . listening . . . eating . . . blessing . . . celebrating . . . and recreating to give like heroes to their community.  I’m hoping that this story just might be enough to paint a picture of missional living for all of us.

I can’t wait to see you, your friends, and your family on Sunday.  Until then, Love.  Our.  City.

Pastor Todd