Fine-Tuning Your Life - Part 8 / Making Your Community A Better Place to Live - F

Fine-Tuning Your Life - Part 8
Making Your Community A Better Place to Live - F

In fine tuning your life. Making you Home a better place to be. Making your Church a better place to go. Making your Community a better place to live.

Last week: The question, “How can I make my Community a better place to live?” can only be answered after I have been in God’s presence and have His heart for my community.

If we want S.L. to be a better place, we need to learn to serve like Jesus did when He washed the disciples feet.
For years I've noticed in volleyball, the team that serves well wins.
In Tennes, if you don't serve well, you never win.

We are an ambassador for Jesus who have answered His call – “Here I am Lord Send me!” (Isa.6:8)

We are called by God to be involved in making our community a better place to live.
In Mat.25, on Judgment Day, God will say to those on the left hand “I was hungry, thirsty, naked,” etc. and you did nothing about it. “Depart from Me.”
Notice how much emphasis is placed on our concern for our fellow man, not how much Sunday morning services I attended.

Text: John 20:19-29
V.21 “As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”
The question I want to ask is: Where did the Father send Jesus? To Sunday morning services, or to the community?
So where was Jesus sending His followers?

Often pastors are trying to get people to commit their lives to going to church once a week for 2 hours, and Jesus is wanting His followers to commit their lives to what?

If we understand: What on earth am I here for? – and understand what Jesus is asking, committing to going to Sunday morning services will never be an issue.

Joh 14:12 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.”
Was this just hype? Or did Jesus really mean that each one of us personally can…?

Jn.20:24-29 “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

I don’t want to diss on Thomas – but I believe our churches are FULL of what he was dealing with.
“Unless I see / understand / have scripture for / I will not believe.”

I think a major part of the problem why S.L. is not a MAJOR source of burning revival is because the “Church” is full of un-believing believers.
(Todd White – when you squeeze an orange, what do you get? When you squeeze a Christian what do you get?)

I believe what I /we need is a Holy Spirit induced paradigm shift.
Paradigm shift = a major change in how we think and get things done to replace our prior methods.

Unlike other religions, why we join community projects is not for Christians to take over, but to demonstrate how good God is. It’s an ambassador thing.
Ultimately, by engaging in our community, we make a meaningful and positive impact on the lives around us.

It is a fact that new Christians witness to people more then those who have been in the church for many years. Why? (many reasons)
Most of us only have a certain number of people we can remain close to. Once your individual quota is reached, we seldom extend beyond that circle of friends.
Part of that is because new believers still have close friends that are not Christians.
But after years of developing close relationships with people I attend Service with, my circle of friends are usually made up of Christians.
So Without realizing it, I’m not as affective witnessing, or bring people to Christ because I haven’t continued to socialize with non-believers.

“God, how do I make my community a better place to live?”