Reaching the Unchurched 4

                 “What Impact is Your Life Making in Your World?”

If each of us were to be transparent, at the end of the day or at the end of our life, we should ask ourselves, “What kind of impact am I making on others? Many times we forget that People are watching our lives, and each of us will either have a positive or a negative influence on others. Car dealership’s showcase their best to bring in potential customers.

What Impression are you Showcasing to the World?

·               Your Fear or Your Faith?

I don’t know anybody that hasn't dealt with real fear in life. Take a mom that’s having a baby for the first time, a pilot that’s learning how to fly a plane, a newly married couple signing their first mortgage on a new home or a teenager applying for their drivers license exam. Fear is real and can torment anyone. A 17 year old shepherd named David chose to live with Faith instead of following his brothers in Israel’s army who were intimidated by fear. His Faith overcame a bear, lion, giant and even the threats of King Saul.

 ·             Your Pain or Your Peace?

 It’s very easy to live life in a ‘pity party’ when you’re facing the winds of adversity. If you live very long, you will face some pain in life. Possibly in your health, marriage, parenting your kids, peers, or in a friendship that went sour. The way to IMPACT the unchurched is by showing how God’s Peace and grace is greater than all your hurt and pain. He is the great deliverer who can pull us out of any ugly pit in life.

 ·             Your Charisma or Your Character?

When Christ comes into your life, old things pass away and all things become new. That doesn’t mean that we become perfect, but it does mean that He changes our heart’s desire not to lie, cheat, steal, and live like the devil and not even be bothered by it. Character and not charisma is the only long lasting virtue that will influence your world.

 ·             Your Junk or Your Joy?

 The Word says, “We have all sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).What people need to hear is that God has pulled you out of your pit of sin. He has the power to deliver from drugs, alcohol, the lust of the flesh and the pride in life. Let people hear more about the new song and Joy in life than the old crud and junk from your past. In David’s own failures he prayed, “Restore unto me the Joy of my salvation.” Jesus: He is the great deliverer!

 ·             Your Whining or Your Worship

 David said, “I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth” (Psalm 34:1). He could have easily filled most of the Psalms with all his grief and heartache; he rather chose to impact those around him with his confidence and glory to his God.

Reaching the Unchurched Part 4 - video message

Reaching the Unchurched 3

As I write, Malaysia Flight 370 is still missing some 17 days later with 239 passengers lost. Every News Broadcast around the world spends the majority of its time compelled to inform its listeners with the latest update. Will they ever find this plane? Was it hi-jacked to be used in a future attack on some nation? The families connected with the people on board this plane have hardly slept a night, worried over the loss of their family members.
Recently, America was invited to help with the investigation to find this lost plane. The FBI, NTA, Air Force and the Navy have all been called in to HELP.

Here are EXAMPLES of how Flight 370 ties in with the Church Reaching out to the Unchurched.

Can the Church get on the Same Page in reaching the UnChurched? As the search began for Flight 370, only a couple of nations were engaged to help find this lost plane. Now, there are 26 nations united in helping find Flight 370. Too many times I’ve watched churches doing their own thing. It doesn’t matter if the label on the Church door is Baptist, Methodist, Church of God or Assemblies of God; we are all in the Redemption Business to see the lost come to know Jesus Christ!

Is The Use of Highly Sensitive Technology critical in searching in the right direction? The Holy Spirit comes not only to Empower each of us, but He also directs us where and when to speak up and love those who are still in darkness. Regardless of where people are in life, Christ died for everybody!

Being Sent by Authority is also critical in reaching those that are lost. When a Navy plane, submarine, FBI, or NSA is doing their search, they realize the authority comes from their nation. Jesus said, “As the Father hath sent Me, so send I you” (John 20:21). Our authority is our Lord Jesus.

Do we Have a Sense of Urgency in reaching the lost? The black box aboard Flight 370 will put out a signal for about 30 days for the searchers to find the plane. The Lord says, “Today is the day of Salvation.” We must not assume we have plenty of time to reach those still lost.

 Everybody can Share in Reaching the lost. Each of us has our own unique story of how Christ opened our spiritually blinded eyes. The blind man said, “I was once blind, but now I can see” (John 9:25). We might have been blinded by drugs, alcohol, self, stubbornness, or some other thing, but the Amazing Grace of God came to pull us up out of sin!

What will it Cost? America has budgeted $4 million and already spent 2.5 million to help in the search. What will it cost you? Jesus gave everything to reach you! What will you give to reach someone?

Reaching the Unchurched - Part 3 - Video Message

Reaching the Unchurched 2

     Jesus says, "You can enter God's Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way” (Matt 7:13). On May 9^th, 1980 the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in Tampa Florida was knocked out by a cargo ship. One driver on the bridge in a pick-up truck was able to stop before going over the edge. He ran down the bridge to warn others with a scream, “The bridge is out, the bridge is out.” A Greyhound bus driver just waved his hand at him and kept on trucking. That day 35 people were killed when the Sunshine Skyway Bridge collapsed. Twenty-six of the victims of the Sunshine Skyway collapse were passengers on a Greyhound bus. Six cars and one pickup truck also plummeted from the bridge when it collapsed.

     Friend, one day the Whole World System as we know it is also going to collapse. Our assignment is to warn men, women, boys and girls that there is a bridge that’s out that leads to death, but God has a Bridge through His son Jesus Christ that will give you Everlasting Life.

     Too many of us in the Church have given into fear, pride and shame when it comes to sharing our faith. (Nearly 80% never share their faith.) Even His disciples were bold as long as Jesus was by their side here on earth. When the Jewish leaders came for Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane, Peter draws out his sword and cuts the ear off the High Priest’s servant. But what happened to that boldness when a few hours later they took Jesus to be tried and crucified? Peter denies that he even knows Jesus.

     Jesus gave His disciples an important revelation before He left this earth. He said, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift He promised, as I told you before.  John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:4b-5).

     Once the Holy Spirit came upon these sheepish men, they were willing to die for their faith. Peter stood and preached on the Day of Pentecost and 3000 people were saved. He would later give his own life by being hung upside down for His Lord. Andrew went to “The land of the man eaters” (Russia) and would later be crucified. Thomas would have four men pierce swords through his body, Matthew was stabbed to death in Ethiopia, while James the Son of Alpheus was clubbed and stoned to death. John in his late nineties was later cast onto the Isle of Patmos where he was thrown into boiling oil.

     Something dramatically changed in all of His disciples. They had all run and forsook Him at His trial and crucifixion, but the POWER of the Holy Spirit forever changed their courage, tenacity and fire within their bones. Church, if we’re to Stand Up for our God in these troubled times, we’ll never do it without the “Dunamis” Power of the Holy Spirit!
 

Reaching the Unchurched - Part 2 (video message)

    
                                

7 Surprises about the Unchurched

Surprise Number 1: Most of the unchurched prefer to attend church on Sunday morning

Surprise Number 2: Females are likely to be either the most antagonistic or the most receptive to the Gospel

Surprise number 3: 82% of the unchurched are at least somewhat likely to attend church if they are invited (8 out of 10 would go to church if somebody would invite them)

Surprise Number 4: Very few of the unchurched have had someone share with them how to become a Christian; Christians have not been particularly influential in their lives

Surprise Number 5: Most of the unchurched have a positive view about pastors, ministers and the church

Surprise Number 6: The attitude of the unchurched is not correlated to where they live, their ethnic or racial background or their gender. The only patterning where we saw any correlation was related to income. The higher an individual’s income, the more resistant to the Gospel they were. Jesus himself warned us that the power of money can be like a god to us

Surprise Number 7: Many of the unchurched are far more concerned about the spiritual well-being of their children than of themselves

CHURCHES THAT ARE HIGHLY INTENTIONAL ABOUT REACHING KIDS AND YOUTH TEND TO BE AMONG THE MOST EVANGELISTIC CHURCHES IN AMERICA

Compiled by Thom Ranier

 

Reaching the Unchurched 1

     Have you given up hope for your spouse, son, daughter, neighbor, boss or co-worker coming to Christ? Did you realize that God hasn’t given up on people? “He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come unto repentance.” There never has been anyone yet that God didn’t love and couldn’t change and transform. It bothers me when I ignore someone’s destiny and eternity. I must never get so busy that I forget that everyone in life will spend their eternity somewhere. Not everybody is going to that place called Heaven. And yes, there really is a physical place called Hell. Do we care? Are we concerned? Do we have a sense of Urgency?

Tom Rainer wrote a book that places the Unchurched into five categories.

·           The U5 is highly resistant to the gospel, antagonistic attitude. (5% of America)

·           The U4 is resistant to the gospel but not an antagonistic attitude.(21% of America)

·           The U3 is neutral, perhaps open to discussion. (36% of America)

·           The U2 is receptive to the gospel and to the church. (27% of America)

·           The U1 is highly receptive to the gospel. (11% of America)

The fact is that 74% of Americans are open to hearing and perhaps receiving Christ as their Lord. The sad statistic according to the Rainer Study is that only 21% of the church ever invites anyone to church. The big question is, “WHY?” Have we become complacent, unconcerned and uncompassionate? Have we gotten so busy with life that we have forgotten we are called to take the Gospel to the lost?

 I don’t want to be like the Priest or Levite, too busy with my own life, with no time to stop and help someone in a crisis. Most people come to the Lord during a crisis. Have we been intimidated by the 26 % who have no interest in the Lord? I’m not saying that the 26% of America is “hopeless” but let’s not use them as an EXCUSE for not taking the Gospel of Christ to those who are open.Yet, 82% indicated that they would be at least “somewhat likely” to attend church if invited.  Have you invited anyone lately?

I encourage you to take a hard look at what is standing in your way of reaching out to those who could be in that 74% who are open and receptive to the Gospel. Say with me today, “I refuse to be part of the nearly 80% of the church who never invites anyone to the House of God”.

God has commissioned each of us to be a "LIGHT of HOPE". Who do you know today that is a U1, highly receptive? A U2 who is also receptive to hearing the news that He is the hope in their darkness? Let this be the year that you become an instrument in His hand to share that the same Jesus who changed and transformed your life can do the same for anyone, anywhere, and anytime.

Reaching the Unchurched - video message

Between the Promise and the Payoff there is a Process

     Have you given up in your brokenness? Have you experienced what you feel is too much pain, ruin, and discouragement? Most people haven’t yet become what God designed them for. Too many give up in their dilemma and despair before they see their deliverance! Have you ever seen a rusted, busted car restored out of a junk yard? It requires a process to bring it back to its beauty and life. Friend, God’s in the restoration business of restoring broken lives.

     The Titanic set sail on April 14^th, 1912 on its first and last voyage with great excitement and adventure. What went wrong? Somewhere between the Promise and the Pay off someone forgot that there was a process to get where they needed to go. It’s sad to see its ruins discovered 74 years later after its fatal destruction at a bottom ledge 2 miles deep in the Atlantic Ocean. It cost some $7,500,000.00 in expenses to build; part of that expense was for 10,000 light bulbs! Even worse were the 1512 lives lost all because somebody refused to take to heart the processes that they should have taken to get safely to their destination.

     A great example would be Joseph who didn’t totally understand the process it took to get to his own Dreams and Promises. He would face stress and pressure from his brothers who threw him into a pit. Then Potiphar’s lying wife falsely accused him and placed him in prison. Would Joseph realize God was still in control of his process in spite of his pain? Would God make him the Prime Minister of the Land to one day save 1000’s in a famine? What if he would have bypassed the Process to get to his Promises? Friend, there is a payoff for those who don’t write God off in their own pain.

       Nehemiah was the cupbearer in the palace for the King of Persia. One day someone came to him and reported that the walls were broken down in Jerusalem. He soon discovered that God would open a door for him to go back to his homeland and start a process of rebuilding those walls. Would it be easy? Would it be without stress and resistance? I’ve never known anyone yet who received their payday without a fight! Nehemiah learned that the process to the payoff would require many steps to attain the promises of God. Prayer, persistence, permission, provision, patience, protection and people were only steps and stages in that process. It’s when we attempt to do God’s work with our own wit, strength and smartness that we fall short of fulfilling His work. With God's processes Nehemiah and his people rebuilt the walls in 52 days.

     I’m convinced that if God can restore broken down walls in Jerusalem, He also has a process of restoring broken lives. There’s never been anything broken yet that God couldn’t fix. He can fix broken marriages, rebellious kids, one dealing with an addiction or someone who’s flat broke. Today, will you trust God who has a process to get you where you need to go? The Payday will come if you’re willing to absorb the process. “This vision is for a future time. It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled. If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed”. Habakkuk 2:3 (NLT)

Between the Promise and the Payoff there is a Process - video message