Let's Get to Work!

 13^th Sunday after Pentecost!

Introduction:

A.   What does a key do for you?

 

B.   It gives you the ability to enter a building doesn't it! It also gives you the ability to decide who else enters the building!

 

C.   Jesus told Peter one time he was going to give him the keys to the Kingdom; let's look and see what Jesus might have been saying.

 

                              Prayer

                          Matt. 16:13-19

 

I.   Let's look at this scripture. (especially vs. 19)

 

A.   Here of course Jesus was talking to Peter.

 

1.   But I think this can be applied to the church.

2.   The church that was built upon this rock (Jesus Christ).

 

B.   This was a very positive statement about the church!

 

1.   He was saying my church won't be dead, but it will  e alive!

2.   It will be going about doing things:

a.   It will be opening the doors for people to come

to God.

b.   And binding them up with the Love of God.

 

II.  If Christ was this positive about the church, then what can cause a church not to be effective?

 

A.   Traditions:

 

1.   Traditions aren't necessarily all bad; they can help make things operate smoothly, and there can be traditions that are really meeting people's needs, that really help us to worship.

     a.   Traditions like the Apostles Creed, Nicene

Creed, liturgy in worship, help us keep

connected to the Christians that lived closest

to the time of Christ!

               b.   Tradition is one of the 4 parts of the

Quadrilateral that helps us decern the will of

God when Scripture is not clear on the subject.

               c.   Christian tradition is important!

               d.   I am glad to be a part of a church that honors

and finds value in those traditions of the early

church!

 

2.   But traditions can be bad, usually more recent

traditions!

a.   They may not be meeting any needs at all, but because that is the way we've always done it,  that is the way we are going to continue to do  it!

b.   They can cause us not to accept change for the better!

c.   They can cause us not to try new things to meet  people's needs!

a.      They can keep us from moving into the 21^st century.

e.   They can keep us from doing something that God wants us to do, and that is when it becomes bad!  It can cause God's church to be ineffective!

 

B.   Another thing that can cause the church to be ineffective is Inconsistent lives of Christians:

 

1.   As a church we teach many things.

a.   We teach that God should be first in our lives!

b.   We teach that we should support the church and its ministries!

c.   We teach that Christians should live clean,

moral lives!

d.   We teach that God loves us!

 

2.   But if we don't show this by the way we live every day of our lives, we aren't being consistent, and we are causing the church to be ineffective!

     a.   If they view us as a hypocrite by the way we live,

they won’t want what we have. They will not view

us as being genuine!

               b.   If they don’t feel loved by us, if they feel

judged by us, that will color their view of God,

and they won’t want God in their lives!

               c.   But if they feel loved and haven’t been loved

by other so called Christians, they might just

want to come and visit that church that helped

make you who you are!

 

3.   When we do show this by how we live, people on the

outside will want what we have!

 

C.   Poor leaders can make the church ineffective!

 

1.   Ministers that preach one thing and at the same time are doing something else!  This not only loses respect for them but also for the church!

 

2.   Teachers:

a.   That don't live what they teach.

b.   That don't prepare!

c.   That don't work on their teaching skills!

d.   This can cause us to be ineffective.

1)   We need to do our part!!

2)   We are responsible for the job we do!!

 

III. What can cause the church to be effective?

 

A.   Loose them to be forgiven and given a new chance at life!

Offer them Christ!  Unconditionally!

 

B.   Bind them with the Love of God!

1.   In our world today, our country today, we need to love

like we have never loved before!

2.   We need to let go of our preconceptions about people!

Our preconceptions will cause us to not invite or open

the conversation!

a.   Maybe their skin is a different color than ours

and we have all these preconceived ideas about

how they are! Preconceptions that will keep us

from inviting!

               b.   Maybe their hair is longer, shorter, a different

style, not as clean, and we don’t open the

conversation.

               c.   Maybe they have tatoos and we do not like tatoos,

or maybe they don’t have tatoos and we do and we think they

are self-righteous and wouldn’t listen to us,

so we do not make the invitation.

               d.   Maybe they dress poorly and look homeless, so

we do not make the invitation. 

               e.   The list goes on. When we see people who are

different and because of that do not make the invitation, we have not taken the key to open the door, to unbind them for God!

f.   Listen to Paul’s instruction from Romans

12:1-18. Let love be genuine! Rejoice in hope! Extend hospitality to strangers! Live in harmony with one another. Live peaceably with all!

               g.   We have the key!  If we do not make the

invitation or open the conversation, people may

never know the love of God!

 

          3.   If they show up at church, do we make them feel welcome

no matter how they look?

a.   Do we make the effort to talk to them?

b.   Do we show them around or tell them about the

church?

               c.   Do we let them sit in the seat we usually sit

in without making them move and feel unwanted?

               d.   If they keep coming, do we let them become a part

of us?  We have the keys!  It is up to us!

    

          4.   I do not see any of this being a big problem in general

here.  I think it is just good for us all to be

reminded about the ways people can not feel included

or loved!

 

5.   We are responsible to reach out to people! God has

given us the keys!

a.   Are we doing it?

b.   We can make a difference!

c.   If we'll stick together and work together for Christ, we'll change some things!  We may not change the whole world, but we can brighten the corner where we are!

d.   We can continue to grow and bring people into

the Kingdom of God and the church!

               e.   We can positively influence Forsyth with the Love of God!

               f.   I am reminded of another of Jesus’ parables: if we will sow the seeds, some will sprout and grow!

 

Conclusion:

A.   We hold the keys; it's up to us!  Let's get to work!!

 

B.   Has something in this message touched you? Do you feel like

you have missed some opportunities to bring the love of

God to someone because of preconceived ideas? Have you

failed to be loving?  Have you failed to give the

invitation?  Do you need to get to work for God? You can

bring it to God as we encounter Christ at the table this

morning, and we can leave and get to work!

 

                       Prayer of Confession

Service of Communion