Living Dangerously: Dangerous Churches
2015 Summer Sermon Series
Sunday, August 16, 2015
What’s left in the series? Dangerous Followers. Dangerous Message. His “Dangerous Churches” can courageously extend God’s kingdom and lead people to a life-changing connection with him. Forces arrayed against effective churches. Churches that are prevailing in extending God’s kingdom.
In Matthew 16, Jesus tells Peter and the disciples that “the gates of Hades will not overcome His Church.” The gates of Hades—the grave, death—assumed to be stronger than anything, would not be able to stand against the Church. That’s a powerful, dangerous Church. It’s His Church, for starters. Because it is His, it will stand and prevail.
After doing some research on the internet this past week, I assembled a list of traits of churches that are “prevailing,” churches that are healthy, growing, and making a difference.
- Great Leadership. Called by God and trained to listen to Him.
- Evangelistic Focus. The Gospel is shared, taught, and illustrated through the life of its leadership. Helping people find true repentance and lordship of Jesus.
- Engaging with Children. Focusing on the next generation is a church preparing its future.
- Active Compassion. God is shouting to His Church “meet the needs of the poor, oppressed, needy, orphans and widows.”
- Generous Spirit. Giving is priority. More than just checks and EFTs.
- Meaningful Worship. Attention and energy are given to all the aspects of weekend gatherings.
- Doing More with Less. Creativity and innovation. More preparation and utilizing the gifts within the church.
- Culture of Volunteering. It is easy, pleasant, and rewarding to volunteer and serve.
- Fixated on Jesus. We talk about, Jesus, Jesus,And When You Are Done Talking About Jesus, Talk Some More About Jesus–
- Lives are being changed. Healthy, growing, prevailing, dangerous churches help save people.
There are some who don’t love the church. My love and respect for the bride of Christ can wax and wane at times, but the church can be a wonderful and powerful thing. When it operates at its very best, the church is a beautiful and dangerous thing.
Jesus didn’t come so we could be safe.
There’s a well-known story in Mark 2 that gives us some insight into being dangerous people in dangerous churches.
No more room in the house in Capernaum. Men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. Four good friends.
They took a risk. These four good friends did something reckless (?) and wild (?) and carried this man to Jesus. Not necessarily a well-thought-out plan. Couldn’t get into the house, so they dug into the roof above Jesus. They went above and beyond the call of duty, friendship, and good sense to get their friend to Jesus. That’s the mark of a dangerous friend, a dangerous church. They took a great risk.
When is the last time you took a risk because of Jesus? When was the last time you obeyed that little voice of God that prompts you to move, to talk, to hug, to give?
Believe the impossible.They hoped for and believed that something amazing could happen for their friend. Small house. Packed house. People in the windows and doors and into the street. Packed. Rather than seeing barriers, they saw opportunities. There are the stairs. There’s no one upstairs. I can see Jesus standing in the middle of the room.
Forget about obstacles. Stop making excuses. Believing the impossible. God can do more than we ask or imagine. We have everything we need to accomplish the ministry God’s called us to, right now. Everything we need for life and godliness. The only limits for our church are in our own hearts and minds. What can God do? Is there anything too hard for Him? “Is anything too hard for the Lord?”
Jesus saw their faith. Jesus forgave the man’s sin. You remember that feeling, right? You recall what that moment felt like?
Didn’t that moment change everything for you? Don’t you want to share that experience with someone else? Who is it that you need to try to touch?
Refusal to give up on those who seem far from Him.
Stand on the side of grace. Verse 6. Some teachers of the Law didn’t get it. They don’t seem to be affected by the power or passion of the moment. Which is easier? To forgive sins or to heal?
The teachers hated anything that looked good.
Jesus took delight in spending time with those who were far from God. Extend grace to others, regardless of what others are doing.
What would you do for a Klondike Bar? For ice cream?
Samuel Shoemaker
I stand by the door.
I neither go too far in, nor stay too far out.
The door is the most important door in the world -
It is the door through which men walk when they find God.
There is no use my going way inside and staying there,
When so many are still outside and they, as much as I,
Crave to know where the door is.
And all that so many ever find
Is only the wall where the door ought to be.
They creep along the wall like blind men,
With outstretched, groping hands,
Feeling for a door, knowing there must be a door,
Yet they never find it.
So I stand by the door.
The most tremendous thing in the world
Is for men to find that door - the door to God.
The most important thing that any man can do
Is to take hold of one of those blind, groping hands
And put it on the latch - the latch that only clicks
And opens to the man's own touch.
Men die outside the door, as starving beggars die
On cold nights in cruel cities in the dead of winter.
Die for want of what is within their grasp.
They live on the other side of it - live because they have not found it.
Nothing else matters compared to helping them find it,
And open it, and walk in, and find Him.
So I stand by the door.
Go in great saints; go all the way in -
Go way down into the cavernous cellars,
And way up into the spacious attics.
It is a vast, roomy house, this house where God is.
Go into the deepest of hidden casements,
Of withdrawal, of silence, of sainthood.
Some must inhabit those inner rooms
And know the depths and heights of God,
And call outside to the rest of us how wonderful it is.
Sometimes I take a deeper look in.
Sometimes venture in a little farther,
But my place seems closer to the opening.
So I stand by the door.
There is another reason why I stand there.
Some people get part way in and become afraid
Lest God and the zeal of His house devour them;
For God is so very great and asks all of us.
And these people feel a cosmic claustrophobia
And want to get out. 'Let me out!' they cry.
And the people way inside only terrify them more.
Somebody must be by the door to tell them that they are spoiled.
For the old life, they have seen too much:
One taste of God and nothing but God will do any more.
Somebody must be watching for the frightened
Who seek to sneak out just where they came in,
To tell them how much better it is inside.
The people too far in do not see how near these are
To leaving - preoccupied with the wonder of it all.
Somebody must watch for those who have entered the door
But would like to run away. So for them too,
I stand by the door.
I admire the people who go way in.
But I wish they would not forget how it was
Before they got in. Then they would be able to help
The people who have not yet even found the door.
Or the people who want to run away again from God.
You can go in too deeply and stay in too long
And forget the people outside the door.
As for me, I shall take my old accustomed place,
Near enough to God to hear Him and know He is there,
But not so far from men as not to hear them,
And remember they are there too.
Where? Outside the door -
Thousands of them. Millions of them.
But - more important for me -
One of them, two of them, ten of them.
Whose hands I am intended to put on the latch.
So I shall stand by the door and wait
For those who seek it.
'I had rather be a door-keeper
So I stand by the door.
A dangerous church is filled with door-keepers, men and women who will take risks to help people put their hands on the door to Christ, to grace, to life.
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