Serving

1
Serving
JESUS

• til

KINGDOM
COME
2
AWAY
MOVING
FROM THE
FENCE
3

• In North America, people dont have a sense of
  the true Christian message anymore

4

• because the face of that message looks so
  unlike the Founder!

5
The CHURCH has had a
1700
YEAR
WEDGIE
6
Somethings
NOT
QUITE
RIGHT
7

• The spiritual dilemma

vs
The Message
The Model
8

• the face of our message looks so unlike the
  Founder!

9
Luke 81

• 1 Jesus went to every nearby town and village
  with His disciples, announcing the Good News
  (Gospel) about the Kingdom of God.

10
Luke 810

• Jesus said to his disciples, " You have been
  allowed to know the mysteries of the kingdom of
  God!

11
Jesus taught

• That He was a King, and that His Kingdom was
  eternal!

12
Jesus taught

• That His Kingdom was in full control of the
  heavens, and was taking control of the earth!

13
Jesus taught

• That His Kingdom was open for anyone to become a
  part of.

14
Jesus taught

• That His Kingdom could only be entered through
  being born of the Spirit of God.

15
John 35

• Unless a man is born both naturally and of the
  Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God."

16
Jesus taught

• That the nature and values of His Kingdom were
  RADICALLY DIFFERENT than the nature and values of
  mortal men!

17
Jesus taught

• That our choices and behavior in this life
  determine our citizenship and our rank in His
  eternal Kingdom!

18
Jesus taught

• That His followers were responsible to recruit
  all who were willing to be citizens of His
  eternal Kingdom!

19
Jesus taught

• That the primary means of recruiting new citizens
  into His eternal Kingdom should be by means of
  demonstrating its undeniable superiority.

20
The Kingdom

• is the Good News that we are to preach
  throughout the world!

21

• Christianity is now almost impossible to
  explain, not because the concepts are
  unintelligible, but because

22

• the living, moving, speaking examples of our
  faith dont line up with the message!

23

• The spiritual dilemma

vs
The Message
The Model
24

• Why do we keep doing church the same way

even when we know that it isnt working?
25
STUCK
Weve been
ON THE
FENCE
26

• The spiritually disoriented world is
  unconsciously asking us to return to ancient
  Christianity NOW!

27

• Theyre weary of our rhetoric, our pat answers
  for everything, and our structures of religion!

28

• A fresh, new look at
• a Kingdom with true and eternal values may be the
  only thing that spiritual sojourners are
  interested in any more!

29
How can we
MOVE
AWAY
FROM THE
FENCE?
30
A brief moment of disorientation
Several seconds of zero gravity!
So...
HANG ON!!!"
31
Let it BURN!!!
21st Century Religious Tradition Structure
32
How can we
MOVE
AWAY
FROM THE
FENCE?
33
Kingdom Value
1. Inclusive, authentic community!

• MOVE AWAY from a life-style of INDEPENDENCE,
  SOLIDARITY and SELFISHNESS

34

• Jesus modeled Kingdom Life.
• He simply
• lived a different story,
• invited people to observe and participate.

35

• The incarnational gospel will require a place of
  discovery, where people will be able to see the
  truth before they commit to it!

36

• This will not be a location, but a community of
  people who are inclusive to everyone!

37
Acts 242-47

• 42 All the believers devoted themselves to the
  apostles' teaching, and to fellowship, and to
  sharing in meals (including the Lord's Supper),
  and to prayer.

38
Acts 242-47

• 43 A deep sense of awe came over them all, and
  the apostles performed many miraculous signs and
  wonders. 44 And all the believers met together in
  one place and shared everything they had.

39
Acts 242-47

• 45 They sold their property and possessions and
  shared the money with those in need. 46 They
  worshiped together at the Temple every day, met
  in homes for the Lord's Supper

40
Acts 242-47

• They shared their meals together with great joy
  and generosity 47 all the while praising God and
  enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each
  day the Lord added to their fellowship those who
  were being saved.

41
How can we
MOVE
AWAY
FROM THE
FENCE?
42
Kingdom Value
2. Eternal values and emphasis!

• MOVE AWAY from focusing on temporal success and
  security and invest all youve got into eternal
  things!

43
Col. 31-3

• Since you have been raised to new life with
  Christ, set your heart on the realities of
  heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor
  at God's right hand.

44
Col. 31-3

• 2 Think about the things of heaven, not the
  things of earth. 3 For you died to this life, and
  your real life is hidden with Christ in God.

45
How can we
MOVE
AWAY
FROM THE
FENCE?
46
Kingdom Value
3. Show and Tell role modeling

• Cultivate practical expressions of those
  qualities and practices that most reflect the
  life-style of Jesus Christ!

47
1 John 26

• Anyone who says he is a Christian should live as
  Jesus lived!

48

• Incarnational Christians will make eternity
  attractive by how they live such selfless lives
  NOW!

49

• They will be modeling life in a new Kingdom in
  ways that will make it easy for other people to
  give it a try!

50
Lets all try to
MOVE
AWAY
FROM THE
FENCE!