Pastor Leon Seaton

Bring Them In

Luke 14:15-24

When one of those at the table with Him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the man who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.”

Jesus replied: "A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, 'Come, for everything is now ready.'

But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, 'I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.' Another said, 'I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I'm on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.' Still another said, 'I just got married, so I can't come.'

"The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.' 'Sir,' the servant said, 'what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.' Then the master told his servant, 'Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full. I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.'"

These are exciting times! Our church continues to grow in the work and mission that God has called us to – the business of ministering to our community as well as strengthening ourselves. This morning we will discuss sharpening our focus so we can spend our time and energy wisely.

I am especially excited because we are working to provide a new parsonage so Roberta and I can be more available to serve our community and church.

Most organizations have a strong mission statement. A mission statement should answer these three questions:

• Who you are

• What you are doing

• How are you doing it?

Unfortunately when a group develops a mission statement the truth is often lost in the fancy wording.

One writer puts it simply by asking two questions:

1. What are you trying to do at your church

2. What energizes your congregation

These are great questions!

What are we trying to do at the Loyal Evangelical Church?
What energizes us?

I can tell you. We are ministering to the needs of the people that come to us for help, and we are reaching out to those that are hurting. We are here to serve.

What energizes us? Our source of energy is our loving relationship with God and our love for each other.

I was thrilled beyond words at the love you showed the extended family of one of our members at her funeral last week. Although we did not know many of them, we ministered to them in a beautiful spirit of love.

Several of us have been here almost every day lately. When I dropped by the church Wednesday evening Barbara and Shortie were busy cleaning the church while Roberta and Robin were ministering to the kids. We love serving the Lord!

Our scripture for today is a parable of Jesus warning the Jewish leaders that just being a Jew did not guarantee acceptance into heaven. The phrase “feast in the kingdom” refers to the great Messianic banquet to come – meaning heaven.

The invited guests in the parable offered some lame excuses. The truth is, we do not buy fields and oxen without checking them out first, and a newly married man could bring his wife.

So the master sent his servants out to find anyone that would come – the King James Version says, “Compel them to come in.” All Christians make up the church, and our job is to continue the work of the Lord and the early church leaders. It is our responsibility to reach out to the hurting and bring them to Christ.

Witnessing is more than trapping people; it is ministering to them and winning them over to Jesus by extending His loving care to them. Jesus blessed the people in every way possible.

People are hurting. People need the Lord, and they need a church that will reach out to them in their time of need. They need our love and understanding. Sometimes they need food baskets and words of instruction. Because of God’s love and the Holy Spirit’s empowerment we are able to live out the love of Jesus Christ to those in need.

Not long ago I visited with a hospice patient. She was feeling sad and lonely. Her dad had been a mean man – an atheist. He was not a nice man and tried to turn his family away from God. “Jane” had gone to church and received Jesus as her Savior, but she had not matured in her faith.

Jane’s dad died several years ago – he got saved just before he died, and she is thankful for that. But some of the hurts of the past remain with her.

Today she is terminally ill. Unless God heals her she will die soon. That day she was sad and lonely; the medicines were not helping! She and I had visited a month before that, but my best counseling did not seem to help.

“Lord,” I prayed, “What can I do to help?’ (Spiritual battles are won in prayer, not in counseling and psychology!)

Responding to the urging of the Holy Spirit I told her about Moses and his spectacular start in life – but how he murdered a man when he was in his 40s – so God waited until he was in his 80s to let Moses start his ministry of leadership. God forgave him, restored him, and used him mightily!

Then we talked about David – the King of Israel – and his sin with Bathsheba. But God forgave him, restored him, and used him mightily!

When Jesus rose from the dead it was the women that showed up at the tomb and found it empty. The men had slept in that morning. Jesus sent Mary Magdalene – the woman out of whom he cast 7 demons – to tell them He had arisen! Jesus made a missionary out of a woman that had been demon-possessed.

Then we talked about Peter denying Jesus three times – yet Peter became the head of the church. How do you explain that! It is God’s love and power of restoration.

James, the half-brother of Jesus said, “In many ways we all stumble.”

After I told those stories I simply asked her if she thought Jesus could forgive her and save her. She straightened up in her chair, smiled and said, “Well, I never did sin that bad!” At my suggestion she prayed a beautiful prayer of repentance, using her own words, asking God to fill her with joy. Jesus did exactly that!

While she was praying the oxygen man came and started changing out her equipment. She was so engrossed in her prayer that she ignored him until she had finished praying. As the joy of the Lord filled her; as she wiped away the tears; she told the oxygen man what she needed.

Rick Warren, author of the Purpose Filled Life was 26 years old and fresh out of seminary when God led him to California to establish a brand new church. His survey of Saddleback Valley revealed the fact that several well known preachers were within driving distance from his intended location. Some of the men had national TV ministries.

Undeterred, he determined not to reach out to Christians, but to reach the unsaved. He followed Jesus who said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." (Mark 2:17)

Jesus also said, “For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.”

When Warren arrived in Saddleback Valley he had a vision – a mandate from God, but no money and no location. He stopped at the first real estate office and told the agent that he was moving there to start a church. But, “I have no money.” The agent laughed and found him an apartment that provided the first month free when he moved in.

In fact, he signed up the real estate man as his first church member – and the man was not a believer. Warren specifically designed his church for unbelievers, and then led them to Christ.

Jesus used the same method… He did not recruit the religious leaders, but men with a teachable spirit.

Warren and his team developed an interesting way of finding new prospects for the church. They polled the neighborhoods asking people what they wanted in a church – what they expected, what they liked and what they disliked.

When your physician does your annual physical he/she does not walk into the exam room and tell you what is wrong with you and what you should be doing differently. (At least he should not start there!) Normally he will have his nurse check your weight and vital signs. She will also ask why you came to the clinic and find out if you are having problems. She will also ask what medications you are on.

Then the doctor does his exam, and makes the appropriate recommendations – he may also order some lab work and x-rays, CT scans or MRIs. Once he has all his information gathered he will make his recommendations.

Our church needs to do the same thing for the people of this area. Find out what they expect of a church and see if they have needs that we can meet.

We should not limit our interviews in any way. We are not seeking to involve Christians that attend other churches. We are seeking people to help, people to train, and people to do the work of God around the world.

There are a lot of hurting people out there. Cancer does not check income levels before it strikes a human body. Fear follows people at all levels of life. Loneliness and a feeling of uselessness distract all sorts of people. Many well-to-do people feel that life is meaningless for them… they need your love!

Serving God gives life meaning, but some people do not know where to start!

When we look at fully serving God the task may seem too large.  Isaiah 40:28-31 is very helpful: “Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

God lovingly walks with us through our day-to-day lives and struggles. We do not need to carry it all by ourselves. Indeed, we cannot. Some people are so focused on being in charge of their lives that they cannot find room for God. The very term “God” means I am in charge of you – you are responsible to Me!

The song writer said, “I did it my way!” Sounds good, but spiritually that can leave you empty.

Someone has suggested that we are “control freaks”, that we resist giving God total access to our lives. But it is necessary. Incidentally, when we give our life to God he gives it back to us… usually in a much more meaningful way.

Until a few months ago owning everything we wanted was a national passion. Many people felt that they were entitled to every luxury imaginable. Hopefully the current financial crisis will help many turn back to God.

Our nation faces some very serious problems. We have two choices. We can throw up our hands in despair, or we can do something about it. Luke 19:13 (KJV) states, “Occupy until I return.” Therefore I believe we need to seek ways to cure some of the problems in our society.

Ladies and gentlemen, people need the Lord, and they need us to help them understand how they can let God help them!

"Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not grow faint or weary ..." (Isaiah 40:28).

You and I have many limitations – our health, our age, our finances, our egos and our desires that come and go. However, God is God. He is the Creator of the Universe, and He doesn't burn out.

God goes the distance for us and with us. He has called this church to greatness – and if you are here, you are part of the church. A church is made up of its people, not the buildings. God has called us to be a strong witness of His love, and each person makes up a part of the team.

Isaiah the young priest said simply, “Here am I, send me.” That is the response God wants from us this morning. If you are thinking, “I can’t do any more,” you may be right. Do what you are doing, and God will be pleased. However, if God is tugging at your heart to do more, by walking in the will and strength of God, you can handle the problems that come and do not have to worry about burn-out.

We all have strengths and talents. If I get outside of my talents of pastoring and nursing I do not do well. For instance, I have no idea how school teachers teach restless kids… but to them it is a calling, and they survive quite well, even though their work requires many long hours – at home, at school, and at sports events and pig shows.

God told St. Paul that God’s strength is perfected in our weaknesses, so whatever God is calling you to do, count the cost, and get started… but also consider the cost of not getting started!

To “count the cost” means to do what is necessary to succeed. If you are taking a vacation you need to pack your stuff and make sure the car is ready and the house is prepared for your absence.

This week let’s consider carefully our neighborhood and the needs of the people. Ask the Lord what He has in mind for you to do!

February 8, 2009