We Do Whatever It Takes to Reach All People

Today on Summit life with Judy Greer. There is literally nothing that we can do with the 99 that brings Jesus as much joy as region one, which means all our focus on thinking people can never lose the priority of going after what is nothing we can see each of the 99 of that we can do as the 99 brings Jesus as much joy is restored and one lost sheep is reclaiming the one lost prodigal son. The Bible teaching ministry of pastor there and religion Judy Greer. I'm your host Molly bit of edge believers aren't meant to be stagnant times just sitting around hanging onto what we've got and stink right there overgrown with algae and aren't exactly enjoyable to say have a refreshing swim in the better picture of advice is that we are meant to be refreshing cool rivers where gospel water flows freely through us to others. Today pastor JD challenges us to get comfortable being uncomfortable knowing that Jesus wants people from every tribe, every tongue and every background to be welcomed into his family. We do what ever it takes to reach all people. If you miss the beginning of our new teaching series yesterday called Beta movement. You can find that first message online. JD Greer.com. Now let's dive into today's teaching and the book of first Corinthians is pastor Jane be the movement in which we are looking up at the core values that define that define the mission of the summa church. These are not new values for us. Of course they I've been there just the fresh articulations of the biblical values that have guided us now for going on about two decades.

These are values that we believe should not only define our church. We believe they also ought to define our lives. They are the essence. We believe of what it means to follow Jesus and I'm showing you how they are thoroughly anchored in in Jesus's life and ministry and in the lives of the apostles who follow what you know these values to embody these values really at the core of of who you are and what you live them out you we have said for a while that our mission at the summa church is to be a movement of disciple making disciples in Raleigh Durham and around the world.

We want to be merely a group that gathers you know several hundreds and several thousands on the weekend for large religious show. We want to be a group of disciple making disciples who carry the gospel with you everywhere that you go well this season has given us yet. You realize a chance to actually take some huge leaps forward in that because we are in a season where we just can't come together as several thousand people in big location so we called on you to leave smaller gatherings of the church in your home.

The church needs to still gather what we always say that not gathering is not an option for Christians. We say that nobody should worship alone will.

This means that that's an opportunity for multiple leaders in our congregation to rise up and leave in the movement in their homes and in our neighborhoods, perhaps even in the workplaces.

You will be safe. You be the movement you know a while back I made statements to our church that that explain that we needed a new standard for success for our members will be counted as maturity date. It was a quote from by getting France's chanters all went is long gone are the days when we should be content with a bunch of people sing out loud. Don't divorce and get the missions I now want to know I can drop off any member in any member of my church in a city and that person could grow in Jesus make disciples and help start a church.

We want to know that if your job sent you to do by and there were no churches there that you would be capable of helping start a church in making disciples. There you see that's what God wants for his people. That's Jesus's vision for you as a disciple. If we do this right, we rise to this moment when this chapter is over working to see a lot of leaders equipped to leave in this mission like never before. A lot of you are going to end up discovering leadership gifts that she did me know that you have it you really could be a part of a movement and how you can be a church leader okay all right the first of our four values was number one, we prioritize the gospel.

Above all, which is what we look at last time for Jesus and the apostles. We saw the gospel was a message of first importance, which meant that all other agendas right no matter how good and worthy and important. They are all take a distant second place to the gospel.

The second value number two look at today is we do whatever it takes to reach all people. We do whatever it takes to reach all people look 15 got to get your Bible, Jesus is going to tell three stories in this chapter that are absolutely gripping.

These stories show you how God feels about people who are separated from him how he feels about you if you were separated from him three parables. It really will make the exact same point each increasing in intensity hate you ever wonder wonder how God feels about you. With these three stories will will tell you exactly how. First, Jesus tells a story about a shepherd with 100 sheep when he discovers that that one is missing shepherd unsay well I got 99 more 1% attrition rate is a bad know he is so distraught over the one lost that he stows the 99 in a safe place and he goes out all night searching for the one that's how God feels about you look at the size of the summa church so hot a lot of people know he cares for you declares that you were lost.

He wants you the second story is about a woman who loses a valuable coin. This time it's not 1/100 that's lost 1/10 were to assume by that that that means that it represents an attempt of her life savings.

So this woman spends an entire day.

Her house apart looking under all the questions of ripping up the carpet to save slip under there just trying to find it. Now obviously you would do that for a penny, you would do that for for something that was invaluable. You don't do something like that for something that is very valuable to you and the point is lost. People are valuable to God and he is searching for them. In the third pair in the third parable, the value of the lost object increases once again. This time it is a lost son.

The son rejects his father is what we call the story of the prodigal son is the son shames the father and runs away with his inheritance to a far country. The striking thing in this parable is that the father rather than just owning his somber harboring anger toward him. This father stands at the door of that day that there house. The door their property every day looking out for the far country where his son is runaway to longing for his son to come home and when that son comes home. Father can hardly contain himself. He cast aside all dignity and runs to embrace it just can't he just can't be happy without his son is anybody you love so much that when they're not happy you can be happy and when they're separated from you. You can't beat, you can't. You can't be happy. That's how God feels about about you. The point is, listen lost people matter, the God lost people matter to God. In fact, let the extreme weight of Jesus's words here in Luke 1511 let them let them settle in on you. Verse four what man of you having 100 sheep be lost. One of them leave the 90 and out of the open country and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it when he has found it. He lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing when he comes home. He calls together his friends and his neighbor saying to them, rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost just so I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven. Verse seven, over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous persons who need no repentance. There is more joy in heaven over one lost person being reclaimed than over the faithfulness of the 99 Summit what you think about that for a minute there is literally nothing that we can do with the 99 that brings Jesus as much joy as rescuing that one.

Yes, we care about the 99 yet we want to minister to you the 99 want to take you deeper to the gospel is to be our third value make disciples not just converts to get this nothing we can do with the 99 brings Jesus as much joy as rescuing one hears how we say that at the summa church we say value to we will do whatever it takes to reach all people, so you will now want you to say goodbye. Luke 15 was your first printing is not just three or four books you know to the right about your Bible and I will show you how the apostle Paul embodied this priority then I want talk about what it means specifically for our church of first Corinthians 9. If you could turn there, read beginning in verse 19. Here's how it goes right for though Paul says I am free from all three man I've made myself, actually a servant all the ESV doesn't do a great translation there because actual word that he uses his slave. I'm totally owned by something else, nothing, nothing is really mine anymore.

What is it that Paul says he is owned by, he says I am owned by my desire to win more of them to the Jews became as a Jew in order to win Jews to those of the law became as one on the law than on my cell been under the law. Of course, because I've been freed by the gospel, but I did it so that I can win those out under the law to those outside the law I became as one outside the law is not of course be outside the law of God, but under the law of Christ. What I do that so that I can win those outside the law to the Ouija became weak that I might win the week I become all things to all people, by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel that I may share with them and its blessings. Verse 24 did not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one actually receives the prize so run to run, but you may be this one who wins the prize. Paul says that for him winning people to Jesus is similar to running a race you race.

If you are running a race you you lay aside anything that doesn't help you win.

I.e. you have a right if you're running a 5K or a cross-country event you got right to wear backpacker football helmet that fancy new pair cowboy boots you love so much you can write where all that. But if you care about winning.

You're not aware any of those things that you lay them aside. Paul says I will lay aside anything that keeps me from bringing more people to Jesus. I made myself, he says, a slave, I made myself a slave to the mission which means nothing.

I have really belongs to me anymore. It's all been surrendered to the goal of the mission. Interestingly, all the context of first Corinthian's nonverbal rights. That is, Paul is explaining why he won't defend himself against certain attacks that have been made on his character, and how much it bothers you when somebody attacks you, you want to like you know the wrong in your you will want to defend yourself like bosses. I got a right to defend myself. I have the right to defend myself but I just don't see how that will help the Gospels advance in your lives. So I'm laying down that right to defend myself to verse 51 he says, but I've made no use of any of those rights and I had even defended my reputation is going to come second to the Gospels advance in people's lives whether it helps him reach more people is Paul's grip for everything and we express that here the summa church by just saying this, we do what ever it takes to reach all people talk about what this means for the summa church. Okay, if you think your number one means that our mission to the lost trumps the comfort of our members are mission to the lost will always trump the comfort of our members early on. Here, the summa church. We decided to set aside our preferences in order to reach people want the stories that I love the tell about this involves a beloved saints who unfortunately just went home to be with Jesus. Just a few weeks ago.

His name is David Weber's one of her elders are the church for for many years. I first came to the summa church in 2002 and started a basketball ministry in a gym that we owned at the time, and groups of local guys from the neighborhood would come to play every Monday night and and I noticed that they all knew each other well ill have nicknames for each other that corresponded to what they're good at basketball. I want guys out of money because he never missed the point or another got a cold street because he just was so fast it cut in the lane and and that the nickname that they had for me was no don't shoot hundred and I wish I were kidding. That is, that as the gospel truth. There's no guys name was there and they called him that because he was so jump like crazy and he and I guess very unexpectedly. We struck up a friendship and I did up Mary and he and his fiancée, but make a long story short of the over the course of a month was a belief in the faith in Christ, he come from a pretty pretty difficult background and so I had to baptize them in our church and up in the baptistery and y'all as far as I know as far as I can remember it was the first African-American that we baptized in the summa church and stood up there and that old property of Homestead Heights Baptist Church in a yell he give the most incredible testimony about coming to faith in Christ and probably a dry eye in the whole place and baptized him, and after the service. David Weber came up to me and he said I he said son Cavell called me son back of his days, his son says you know that a lot of people complained about these changes you're making our church as a yes sir he said you know I got some questions about some of the changes will make into I, smiled at 101, where he was going with you and and I looked at him and I could see get a bill to your well enough in his eyes is his voice.

It was shaky and he pointed toward the baptistery. He said son, if that's what we can to get right there you can count me in for all these changes naturally embody the spirit of people of the summa church that's that. They just said whatever it takes will chat will will let whatever needs to change.

Change. It helps us reach more people for Jesus want you to know some, especially those of you that are newer here that where we are. We are where we are because of a group of people, a group of saints were willing to make themselves uncomfortable for the sake of reaching others on sadly you know this. The countryside of America is dotted with churches who won't do that, their members, their members don't want to change because change is uncomfortable.

So they sit on furniture that was designed in the 1940s. They listen to music that was popular in the 1950s. They listen to a pastor who was dressed like got stuck in the 1960s heard one guy say says you have the 1950s ever come back. A lot of our bags.

Churches are totally going to be ready right. Some of you by the way you might've grown up in a church like this. And so you know how hard it is to get them to change anything by the organ order of service that handbills a moneygrubbing place with with aunt Diane Mills and Lord help us of some of you to try to bring in a drum set to be tantamount to setting up an altar to Satan. The sad truth is that many of these churches have prioritized maintaining the traditions of reaching the grandchildren and listen, I know it's easy for us to sit here and feel smug because over so modern and contemporary but Mr. by the way, this is an amazing church, but you realize how easy it is for that spirit to creep back in. How willing are you and I to put up with things that we don't like in church for the sake of reaching somebody else how comfortable are you with being uncomfortable when you make us real from okay. Paul's illustration for Sprint is not looking at his illustration for how he applied this principle was to have Timothy his traveling companion circumcised I am.

If you want what is circumcision. You just ask whoever leave your home gathered and will be happy to explain to you. Okay for Jews, being circumcised, was that thing you did to show respect to your heritage will Timothy had a Jewish mom but a Gentile dad so Timothy had never been circumcised that had become a huge obstacle is a problem for a lot of Jews. They were trying to reach because it was a stumbling block because they thought that that meant Timothy was disrespecting his heritage in pulses is according to the gospel even need to be circumcised right is free so in order to remove any obstacle of the gospel.

Paul had Timothy, a grown man get circumcised. I want you to keep that in the back your mind is the standard for being uncomfortable in church. I'd like Timothy would say to a lot of us. Please do not bellyache that the music is not exactly to your liking, and I feel like we would hear him say that be a shame we believe that we should always be pushing the envelope year.

We just want to get comfortable, like I'm saying with being uncomfortable. We want to do things innovative layer is not what it feels risky hello hello pastor friend about getting Craig Rochelle said that he said to reach people that nobody else is reaching you be willing to do what nobody else is doing. This is why by the way, we chose to pursue multisite all those many years ago.

I'm just to be clear, multisite is a big headache for everybody but we figured it was easier for us to reach more people in the Triangle, if lost people had a facility that they could come to within a Fifteen Mile Dr. of their homes. I always say that I'm flattered that you drop 45 minutes to come to our church. I really am honored by that, but I can promise you that the person that you just met in Starbucks or in your neighborhood who doesn't know Jesus that will is not a drop 45 minutes to come. Your message that they don't really understand yet right voice that is rather than build one big gargantuan Six Flags over Jesus, building how we said let's build slightly smaller gospel outpost all the Triangle and so we say to people stay where you are sir where you live.

Let's be the church in that community. And that's what we did that, even though it wasn't an ideal way to set up a church and there are a lot of challenges to it. I hope you and I will always feel a little bit uncomfortable. The summa church because the mission is not about meeting our needs. The mission is about reaching our neighbors number two being a church that that that's willing to do whatever it takes to reach all people means to we pursue with not just depth.

I sometimes hear the criticism that we need to stop focusing on growing and instead focus on taking people date and I get that I got told your third value is that we make disciples not just converts my bike but you can see from Jesus's parable that there is literally nothing that we can do with the 99 that brings Jesus as much joy as reaching the one which means that in all our focus on taking people D which were going to do.

We can never lose the priority of going after the one is nothing we can teach to the 99 nothing we can do as the 99 brings Jesus as much joy as restoring it. One lost sheep is reclaiming that one lost prodigal son. Prodigal daughter Charles Spurgeon who was 1/19 century preacher who was not known for his shallow sermons. It wasn't you light seeker friendly. Here's what he said if my hearers are not converted, I feel I have wasted my time. I've lost the exercise of brain and heart. I feel as if I lost my hope is lost my life must I find for my Lord.

Some of his blood bought ones. I would sooner bring one center to Jesus Christ and unpack all the mysteries of the divine word for conversion is a thing that worked with a live for you. Known throughout history as one of the deepest preachers it's ever been around. He said the thing that drives me is seen that one lost son or daughter be restored home. So yeah we want to continue to grow deeper in talk about that the believers that grow deep without also growing wider probably not as is deep in the Gospels, a thing, because growing deep in the gospel always makes you reach wide for the gospel were not supposed to be in a stagnant stagnant pond where you simply receive receive receive were supposed to be a river were gospel water flows through us to others as number two. We are working to pursue not just depth were to proceed with. Also, number three, number three. It means we go after all peoples in our community, not just one kind you noticed our statement specifically says we do whatever it takes to reach all people all their doesn't just mean as many as possible.

It means all kinds of people and certainly we want to reach as many as possible ethical point of the story of the 99 and the one every lost person matters to God but they are means means all kinds of people from every walk of life from every socioeconomic strata from every ethnic group. When Jesus gave the great commission in 1928 the apostles to go and make disciples from contact name is a Greek phrase that literally means all the people groups different tribes in different ethnicities and different language.

That's why the summa church we send out so many missionaries from the church, but only currently we have 276 members were living overseas right now on church planting thing we do that we don't do that because everybody in the triangle is reached is nothing new here. We do it because Jesus wants people from every tribe and tongue to be a part of his family always makes to reach my this is been mainly message from Pastor Judy Greer on summit like you if you'd like to listen again or if you want to share this message with a friend Judy Greer.com knowing the Scriptures better has been a primary goal for us this year and to help you continue to grow. This offering a new Bible study different from our other resources and one of the things I'm always curious about when I buy a book or a Bible study online dating is the format so what exactly will I hold in my hand I receive it. You know what can we expect that's a great question.

Study call is copy the movement get some.

It's essentially a four-part study with an introduction and conclusion. The book ends at each part can have a few pages of teaching for me and our team here summa life, written out, followed by a handful of questions that are based in Scripture and in the my favorite. They have to like my job as a preacher teacher to help people read the Bible better choices like hate, you know, yet you hear me teach this, but how can you engage in the text and you can work through the book. It really any pace.

Every once in a while Ali we get the critique here at Summit life that I talk a little quickly. I sir automatically, 1.5 speed and so yeah if that's you know I have a slow this down. The great news is that this book is for you and then there's this is a pretty robust prayer section that gives you prompts to help you respond to what you just spent time studying. By the way, another question we get a lot here is like I want to have a prayer time, but my mind wanders, and I start out pray for missionaries and I end up thinking about the Netflix on watching the night before.

This will help you actually put some structure to it so that you can actually move along with the Holy Spirit and Scripture in prayer and I think it will help you have a more deliberate from the very beginning, God intended for his church to new from household to household and neighborhood to neighborhood nation to nation moving into areas of brokenness and despair and injustice, bringing God doing today is the same thing that moved the earliest disciples 2000 years ago will fill you a copy of this study today as our way of saying thank donate to support this ministry is funded by listeners like you when you link your helping us bring Bible teaching television you can do that with the wind by 2019.

Just give us a call 8665 21 you can get even movement study online.com Molly benefits inviting you to join us again Friday truly pursuing all right here Friday on your ministry