Your Un-Churched Neighbor Part 2: Praying

When you pray, God works in you and through you.

Series Purpose:

To inform, inspire, equip and challenge us as the people of God to embrace our unique calling to be a counter-narrative people, to do His will and serve others, and to speak the truth in love, to those who are lost/far from God, as we tell of what He has done in our lives and for the whole world.‭‭

Luke‬ ‭19:10‬‬

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭15:7

‬‬I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

The focus for today is: PRAYER.

Last week we began with the focus of UNDERSTANDING. We must first seek to understand our neighbor.‭‭

1 Timothy‬ ‭2:1-6

‬‬I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time.

-Paul is saying “pray for everyone”, even those who are in authority and may oppose the way of Jesus.-The heart of God is for all people to be saved.

-There is one Savior, who made a way for all people to be reconciled to God.

Why does prayer matter so much?

-First, we acknowledge prayer is powerful and effective (James 5:16). Through prayer we have access to divine power. And through prayer, this power is working and moving!

-Next, it matters because it’s our weapon as we declare war in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 6:12).-But there’s another reason: as we pray, God works in our hearts. Prayer aligns our hearts with God’s hearts.

Bottom Line:

When you pray, God works in you and through you.

If we begin truly praying for all people, even people who are far from the Lord, then our hearts begin to align with our Father’s heart. He begins to lovingly direct our thoughts. He begins to point out in us things that don’t please Him. He begins to give us a heart for those around us that desperately need hope.

If we are serious about the people around us experiencing new life in Christ, then we must pray.” Lord, give me a heart that beats as one with your heart. A heart for all people.”

Church of the Nazarene East Rock

Your Un-Churched Neighbor Part 1: Understanding

You can’t reach someone with whom you don’t empathize, and you won’t empathize until you understand. As we came through our services last week having to make a few adjustments to our normal routine, it was a reminder of just how many things are different today, than they were 2 years ago. Some of these differences are not so bad, but there are more than a few changes that remind us, it is a different world out there. The world health organization estimates that depression and anxiety have increased 25% globally since the onset of the pandemic. The fragility of our lives has been brought to the forefront of our thinking through many ways. I think many of us have some memory of toilet paper being more valuable than gold. A conflict a world away right now is affecting our supply chains, energy costs, and so many more things. When we say it’s a different world, we are not just saying it for effect. It’s not just establishing a reason for our new teaching series. It’s really a different world. And where is the church in all of this? One look at recent surveys or polls may surprise you. Here are just a few that caught my attention: Half of non-Christian Americans don’t trust local pastors

The percentage of people who attend church 1 or two times per month decreased from 34% in 2019 to 28% in 2022

In the same time frame, the percentage of people that never or seldom attend church grew from 50% to 57% Only 21% of non-Christian people have a positive perception of the local church yet 80% of Christians have a positive view. (This represents a huge gap in our understanding of the people around us.)As a church that is committed to the mission of Christ, committed to seeing people find relationship and restoration in Christ, this should alert us! If we are committed to being Transformed by God to bring hope to others through Christ, we must also be committed to making changes in ourselves and in our approach to our mission as the church to reach our new and different world. Yes, the message is always the same. But the world is different. The people all around us are different. Today we are beginning a new teaching series called “Your un-churched Neighbor” Through this series we want to be more informed, better equipped, and yes, even challenged to reach the lost and seeking hearts all around us .We begin our series today by unpacking the need for understanding. You can’t reach someone with whom you don’t empathize, and you won’t empathize until you understand. As we begin will see that until we are able, or willing, to work to understand others – especially those who are different from us– we can’t begin to know them or empathize with them. And if we can’t do that, we can’t reach them.‭‭John‬ ‭4:1-30‬‬Now Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that he was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John— although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. So he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee. Now he had to go through Samaria. So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon. When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?” Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.” He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.” “I have no husband,” she replied. Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.” “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.” “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.” Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking with her?” Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” They came out of the town and made their way toward him. Did you catch that? She didn’t say “The Messiah chose me!” or “I am the first!” She said: “Come see a man who told me everything I have ever done!” Of all the amazing things about the encounter at the well, THAT is what stood out to her. Maybe, for that woman, it was the first time in her life she was understood. Really understood. Not judged, not condemned, not abandoned. Understood. The message she carried back to town was that she had met someone who KNEW her. The power of understanding is news worth sharing…Of course, we don’t have the understanding of Jesus, nor will we ever. But we have opportunities every day to understand those around us, to learn, to discover, to hear their stories. To WANT to listen To NEED to understand. The question today is will we do the hard work of understanding others so that we can love them better for Jesus’ sake? Will we put others first? As we continue in our series over the coming weeks, we will unpack other areas of focus for bridging the gap or being effective in sharing Jesus in our ever-changing world. We will see that no matter how much our world has changed, evangelism, or reaching the lost, is a supernatural pursuit that must begin in prayer. We will see that perhaps one of the greatest ways we can show people the love of Christ, is to serve them. We will be reminded that evangelism takes real work. And finally, we will understand that the ultimate expression of love is sharing the honest and compelling truth of the Cross of Christ When we think of all that we have said this morning…from this new normal we’re living in to the way the church is perceived, from how Jesus approached the Samaritan woman to the ways we have sometimes approached those He has put around us…Here’s the point: Before someone needs my judgment, they need my compassion Before they need my opinion, they need my understanding.

http://bible.com/events/48934667

Church of the Nazarene Harrisonburg

Your Un-Churched Neighbor Part 1: Understanding“ People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.”

Series Purpose: To inform, inspire, equip and challenge us as the people of God to embrace our unique calling to be a counter-narrative people, to do His will and serve others, and to speak the truth in love, to those who are lost/far from God, as we tell of what He has done in our lives and for the whole world.‭‭

Luke‬ ‭19:10‬‬For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

The focus for today is: UNDERSTANDING

Only 21% of non-Christian people have a positive perception of the local church Half of non-Christian Americans don’t trust local pastors Millennials think the local church is detached from the real issues people are facing. The percentage of people who attend church 1 or two times per month decreased from 34% in 2019 to 28% in 2022In the same time frame, the percentage of people that never or seldom attend church grew from 50% to 57%There is an increasing % of people who are spiritually/biblically illiterate – especially in younger generations – but open to spiritual things Non-Christians are pretty sure we’re not interested in them for who they are. Non-Christians tend to think Christians are against more than they’re for. Non-Christians don’t see much difference between the way Christians live when compared with non-Christians.‭‭John‬ ‭4:1-30‬‬Now Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that he was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John— although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. So he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee. Now he had to go through Samaria. So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon. When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?” Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.” He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.” “I have no husband,” she replied. Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.” “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.” “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.” Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking with her?” Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” They came out of the town and made their way toward him. Dean Flemming“ Jesus’ love and restoring power intersect people at the point of their life circumstances.”WORK TO UNDERSTANDBEFORE WORKING TO BE UNDERSTOOD

As we continue in our series over the coming weeks, we will unpack other areas of focus for bridging the gap or being effective in sharing Jesus in our ever-changing world. We will see that no matter how much our world has changed, evangelism, or reaching the lost, is a supernatural pursuit that must begin in prayer. We will see that perhaps one of the greatest ways we can show people the love of Christ, is to serve them. We will be reminded that evangelism takes real work. And finally, we will understand that the ultimate expression of love is sharing the honest and compelling truth of the Cross of Christ

http://bible.com/events/48929963

Church of the Nazarene – Harrisonburg Kingdom

The Kingdom is now, and it requires grace.‭‭

Matthew‬ ‭18:1‬‬

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”‭‭

Matthew‬ ‭18:2-4 ‬‬

He called a little child to him and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.‭‭

Matthew‬ ‭18:5‬‬

And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.

The Kingdom of Heaven is now

Greatness is found in receiving grace

This grace extends beyond ourselves

We can achieve greatness in the Kingdom of God today if we set aside our human accomplishments to receive and share God’s grace.

Church of the Nazarene East Rock

Over The Walls: Failure

There is no wall that can separate us from God when we seek Him, not even the wall of failure. Over the last few weeks, we have been looking at the life and ministry of Jesus to see more clearly His heart and His call for us to go beyond the 4 walls of our church to bring hope to our communities. Through Best Week Ever and Vacation bible school, we have done that! We have taken the tangible hope of Christ into our community, planting seeds in God’s Kingdom. We have been over the walls together. Through the life of Christ, we see that there is no wall that can separate a seeking heart from the healing, redeeming love of God. Not even the wall of failure. As we conclude our series today, we will see the heart of Jesus for those who have failed, even those who have failed big.‭‭Luke‬ ‭22:54-62‬‬Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance. And when some there had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, “This man was with him.” But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he said. A little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” “Man, I am not!” Peter replied. About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.” Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly. We begin to understand the wall of failure is complex, it’s multifaceted, and it has affected us all in different ways. What if today, Jesus is calling us to follow him over the wall of failure? If you are one that has failed, the call is to embrace his hand as he is reaching out to you, to go over that wall to restoration and redemption with Christ. Follow me Jesus says.‭‭Luke‬ ‭22:61-62‬‬The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly. I don’t know about you, but I can FEEL this text. We grieve with Peter because we have been there, we know what bitter tears are like. Like graffiti on a train car, your wall of failure might have many things painted on it. The question of the morning is: Is there a failure that haunts you? If not, that’s wonderful. But if you are staring at that wall of failure…you’re in the right place. The good news today friends is that because of God’s great grace, Peter’s story doesn’t end here at the wall of failure, and yours doesn’t have too either.‭‭Mark‬ ‭16:5-7‬‬As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’ ” Over the wall of failure, came a voice, a voice calling Peters name. In the middle of the despair, playing over and over that moment in his mind, kicking himself, resolving that it was over, he was done. In that place- a voice calls out. Not with condemnation, but invitation. Peter had a choice in those moments. He could stay behind the wall of failure forever or he could take hold of the hand of grace that Jesus was extending over the wall. In that place of brokenness, shame, and guilt, Peter took the hand of Jesus, and went over the wall of failure to restoration and redemption. That choice to embrace grace, changed the trajectory of his life forever.‭‭John‬ ‭21:15-17‬‬When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” Again, Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. The failure that could have been the end for Peter. That could have been the last chapter. But Jesus wasn’t intimated by Peter’s wall of failure. And He’s not intimidated by yours. Just as our Lord reached out His hand to rescue Peter…He’s doing the same, right now, to you. No wall. Just grace and mercy. Will you follow Jesus over the wall of failure? Will you embrace him? Jesus doesn’t stop at the wall of failure, so why should you?