Date:  August 7th, 2011

Speaker:  Pastor Kevin Sndyer

Title:  People of Impact

Text:  Acts 13: 1 - 3

 

INTRODUCTION

Many of you perhaps have met our friendly Alouette fan, Dan McKenna & his lovely wife , Pat. (sometimes called Betty).

What many of you perhaps don’t know is his story.

Dan wrote it out and gave me permission to share it with you today.

 

“My Story” 

That story really summarizes what we are about as Christians & as a church, doesn’t it?  It is about allowing God to use us to make an impact on people’s lives. …leaving a fingerprint of Jesus on our community. 

I think it’s a part of our East Side DNA… 

• We want to impact on individual lives…this community. 
• We want to leave a fingerprint on the fabric of this community.
• We don’t want to be a church that doesn’t make a dent in the spiritual climate and soul of this city….
• Saddest commentary would be if we disappeared and there was no appreciable difference in this community. 

How?

What does it take?

What are the characteristics of people/churches of impact?

In Acts 13 we read about, not one man, but a church that made an impact on their world….and continues today

The church in Antioch has become a model and inspiration for mission-sending churches around the world.  It is the church located at Antioch

About Antioch

• 16 miles from the Mediterranean, and some 300 miles north of Jerusalem.
• It was the metropolis of Syria, and afterwards became the capital of the Roman province in Asia.
• It ranked third, after Rome and Alexandria, in point of importance, of the cities of the Roman empire.
• It was called the “first city of the East.”

Well, the Church in Antioch was the gateway to the worldwide spread of the gospel.

• It became the most influential church in it’s day.
• It became a church renown for “giving itself away”…for sending out leaders…reproducing itself. 
• It  was a church that impacted, not only Antioch, but the entire Gentile world.

Let me read a little about this church

Acts 13: 1- 3

Among the prophets and teachers of the church at Antioch of Syria were Barnabas, Simeon (called “the black man”?*?), Lucius (from Cyrene), Manaen (the childhood companion of King Herod Antipas?*?), and Saul. 2 One day as these men were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Dedicate Barnabas and Saul for the special work to which I have called them.” 3 So after more fasting and prayer, the men laid their hands on them and sent them on their way.  

Question Today:

What characterizes the members of an impactful church?

PEOPLE OF IMPACT…

1. EMPLOY THE GIFTS GOD HAS GIVEN YOU

v.1  - “Among the prophets and teachers of the church at Antioch of Syria…”

i.e.

1 Cor 12 – likens church to a body.  It says God has gifted each member of the body with  unique spiritual gifts/abilities  which contribute to the overall functioning of the body.

All of us different members.  Eyes, ears, hands, feet,…butts…Each part has been given a unique role and function.  If one member isn’t functioning it affects the whole body.

Here you have a church where they were obviously functioning out of their gifts. The people of this church knew and were practising their spiritual gifts.  They could identify people’s gifts.   They were operating out of their gifts.

Here identified are 5 teachers & prophets…

• Prophet – not so much future tellers, but communicators of truth (remember didn’t have NT – written word of God – people that had to take words and example of Jesus and speak them into the context)
• Teacher –  builders of knowledge & understanding

They are identified by their gifts.  They knew their SHAPE.

• Sp. Gifts
• Heart
• Abilities
• Personality
• Experiences

Seminar/Course  we are going to be offering in this coming ministry year…help you identify  those in your life. 

(In meantime – go with heart – what drawn towards.)

But truth is…there are piles of churches in North America who are nowhere close to reaching their redemptive potential because there are a lot of ears, hands, and feet that aren’t functioning.  (There are a lot who are functioning as “butts”).

They aren’t functioning because…

• They don’t know  and haven’t sought to discover and deploy their gifts.
• they aren’t freed up within themselves of all their baggage to make a difference. They are still letting their fears, their hurts, their pasts, their bitterness, control them.
• they have bought Satan’s lie that they are inadequate, no-useful.
• they have got their lives so full of other stuff that the mission of God is something they’ve become casual about.

When we don’t we lessen our effectiveness…

i.e.

Sp. gift = imagine you are a farmer …old school and still had a horse drawn plow… new tractor with GPS – would you turn it down? God gives you something to use to contribute to the body & work of Christ.

There are a 1000 reasons for why people aren’t functioning in the arena of their gifts, but if the church is to ever to make a dent in it’s community, church members need to rethink and see themselves - not as the “field” of ministry, but as the “force” of ministry.

Scott Francis explained it to me this way. For people to really feel connected , and also for a church to really find it’s stride people need -  a faith, a friend, and a job.

• Many people come to church because they like the message – resonates with their faith & beliefs
• Many people come because they have friends there…glue.
• But this church in Antioch was one step up – people connected there because they also had a job.  They were a part of the mission.

An Antioch/Impacting church develops when we are more than just attending a service…but when we are employing the gifts God has given us.  When we are seeking to use them to contribute to the body & the cause of Christ.

Friends,

You were made for a purpose.  You were made for a contribution.  You were made to influence this community and maybe this world. Your focus needs to be on discovering what that is, and getting freed up to do it. 

i.e.

Wayne Cordeiro – doing church as a team

Russian priest discouraged and thinking of quitting.  Went out for a walk & inadvertently wandered onto a military compound.

The guard startled him when he called out:

“Who are you?  What are you doing here?”

Priest told him. Then in a moment of enlightenment he said to the soldier:

“How much do you get paid?

“Why?”

Priest replied, “Cuz I will pay someone double what they make to follow me around everyday and ask me those 2 questions.

Friends,

• “Who are you?’
• “What are you doing here?”

As one gifted by God,  are you employing those gifts for his kingdom?

One key to making an impact. 

2. OBEY THE WHISPERS OF GOD 

v. 2 - “One day as these men were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Dedicate Barnabas and Saul for the special work to which I have called them.”

Barnabas & Saul receive a call from God to minister in a specific way.

Note 3 things about this “call”: 

1. Context: Where & When

“As they were worshipping…”

Question:

Do we come expecting to hear from God?  Not just words of comfort , but words of direction.  We like to come and reminded  of God’s love and care, have our souls ministered to…but do we come expecting to hear words of direction?  – calls to do something? Do we have an ear for that?

i.e. Contrast Patient vs Employee

Come as a patient to have our symptoms treated or do we come as an employee to get the directions on our day?  Season for both.  But sometimes we get locked into the season of being a patient…never  come asking “God, how do you want to use me? What would you have me do?”

Important we have an ear for that.

• Specifics about “Call”
• God’s call is usually to something , not away from something.
• Call to minister Christ to the Gentiles…not to get out of dodge.
• Often we feel a “call” to another location when something gets unpleasant.  Many times people change locations when what they need to change is themselves.  Often change location only to find they took themselves with them.
• God’s “call” is usually to something, it generally calls us to “serve” not “get” (not a lot in it for us), & often to something bigger than us.
• It is confirmed by other Christians

God spoke to others in the church as well. “Dedicate them to the work I have already called them to and put on their hearts.” Others also sensed God’s calling on their life. … they saw the gifts, the heart, for this ministry.

 Great confirmation….do your Cn brothers and sisters see evidence of this ministry calling in your life? Is it you? 

Application

What do you expect when you come to worship?

Do you expect and listen for a whisper from God?

A whisper of direction. 

Why is this so important?

As Bill Hybels says, “This world has been radically changed by people who listened and obeyed a whisper from God.’

i.e.

• Isaiah 6 – whisper – became a prophet
• Text – whisper  - minister to Gentiles – we are product of that
• Nicholas Winton  story –Lucado: Out Live Your Life, p. 15, 16

 

Whispers can change the world  

3. LIVE UNSELFISHLY

Suppose your car breaks down in middle of barren wasteland right near one of those Old hand pumps.  You are desperately thirsty and are literally miles from any water source. On the pump is this note: “Buried to the side of the pump is a container filled with water.  Do not drink the water but pour it all into the pump to prime it.  It will work.  Please remember to refill the container for the next person.”

When you see that water what are you tempted to do?

• How willing would you be to pour it all into the pump risking it might not work?
• When you are desperately thirsty it would be a temptation  to drink the container of water.  It would be hard to pour it away without any evidence that you will get anything back.  It would be hard to trust the note.

But the water causes the leather washers to expand and effectively primes the pump.  But it is hard to give it  away when you want it so bad.

That’s the paradox of the gospel.

• Give and you shall receive.
• He who loses his life shall gain it.
• First must be last

That’s the dilemma we face everyday of our lives in many different arenas.

a. finances

Hear call to give or tithe.  “I can’t do that….how will I pay my bills.”

b. families

We struggle letting go of our kids.  We want to keep them close for us.  And so our needs cause us to selfishly hang on to them instead of encouraging them to pursue and become all God has for them.

c.  friendships

This year put emphasis on welcoming new people – initiate contact, include in circle, invite to join you.

That’s hard. We only have so much time and it’s easy to get together with people we know and love.  To include someone new means I can’t be selfish…I have to give up some intimacy, some comfort, some security.

d. Small groups

  We like our fellowship.  It’s comfortable.  Then , call for new small groups to start.  Need new leaders.  Unwilling to give up persons in our group cuz we’ll miss them.  We want to keep them too ourselves.

e. Church expansion  or planting

Church – biggest argument against planting new church or starting a new service or doing a new ministry is “We can’t afford to give up those people.  We aren’t strong enough yet.”

And yet it seems every time a church has been willing to be unselfish - God has blessed. In my consultations many times I have seen churches that pull in their horns, try and preserve what they have…tend to wither  and die. 

f. Missions

Common Complaint:

“We never have enough financial resources. We shouldn’t send it over there when we have needs right here.”

As a church we never have enough resources.  We could always use more finances…prophets and teachers.  Church in Antioch probably needed them too….but what did they do.  They sent off 2 of the best they had.  They released them. 

The truth is that to reach our full redemptive potential we need to become increasingly unselfish. We need to trust and pour the water into the pump.

We need to trust the words of Jesus: “He loses his life shall find it.”

Challenge

Every church wants to grow, not every church is willing to pay the price for growth.” 

Not every church is willing to be unselfish.

What are you selfishly clinging too? What are you unwilling to trust into God’s hands?  What are we reluctant to give up?

Hale & Sway – “The And”

(come & die) There is no other way around it....that is the road to being an impact person and impact church.

Key to being  people of impact. 

4. REPRODUCE YOURSELF

Acts 14: 23

– Paul & Barnabas  were producing “multipliers” not just spectators.

This church wasn’t just about doing ministry but producing others to do ministry.

Their end goal is described in 2 Tim 2:2

 You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.

They were bent not just on teaching to one person but to mentoring that person to be able to pass it on to another.

Note the difference:

Today: Sonlife Study:

North American average: 100 people 1 year to bring 1 person to Christ

Looks like:

Antioch model: reverse

Think of the difference of these 2 churches:

1 multiplier (1 writer, missionary, evangelist, pastor) will outweigh the production of 10x its numbers…

i.e.

Seminary – chinese alliance church – started 22 other churches across Western Canada.

How?

Because their vision wasn’t just to grow bigger but to replicate.

Means: Seek to become a multiplier not just a convert.

Application

Your goal as a cn believer is not just to become a believer.  It is not just to hang on to your faith until you die.

Your goal is to become a multiplier. A mentor. 

Often don’t know how –

Key: share what has got you where you are in Christian life

People of impact look to reproduce/ multiply  themselves

WRAP-UP 

How can we make Dan’s story a regular occurrence…how can we be a church that is used of god in that way?

Questions:

1. Employ your gifts.

What do you need to do to get freed up to be an active member in the body of Christ, the cause of Christ? 

• What issues, hang-ups, obstacles, problems, fears, struggles do you need to address, become healthy and be in a place where God can work through you?
• What has God given you that you need to be employing in the kingdom of God? 

2. Obey the Whispers of God

What is God whispering to you today?  What is calling you towards? 

3. Be Unselfish

Biggest barrier we face in the church today from reaching our full redemptive potential is and I’ll call it what it is, our selfishness.  It keeps us from including people in our circle, it keeps us from stepping out to start new groups and ministries, it keeps us from engaging the community.

• What do you need to let go of today? 
• What has your selfishness cost the kingdom of God? 

4. Reproduce Yourself

Lifelong aim to …pass the baton…invest in a life…pass faith to next generation…

Who might that be?

• Children, youth, C/C , young leaders , young Moms/Dads

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Easton, M.G.: Easton's Bible Dictionary. Oak Harbor, WA : Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1996, c1897

* Greek who was called Niger.

* Greek Herod the tetrarch.

Tyndale House Publishers: Holy Bible : New Living Translation. 2nd ed. Wheaton, Ill. : Tyndale House Publishers, 2004, S. Ac 13:1-3

Tyndale House Publishers: Holy Bible : New Living Translation. 2nd ed. Wheaton, Ill. : Tyndale House Publishers, 2004, S. 2 Ti 2:2