Pray for Haiti
Please join us as a church as we pray for the people suffering in Haiti. It’s been a terrible tragedy. Our hearts go out to them.
Just Walk Across the Room – The Power of a Story (Part 2)
The first thing about the power of a story – is God’s story:
1. God has a story: We need to learn to tell it well.
Christ came to earth to be our bridge. Whoever makes the decision to cross the bridge will live with God forever.
John 5:24 “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.”
2. You have a story: Don’t be afraid to share it!
Not only does God have a story, which is what we just looked at. But you have a story as well. A powerful story. And your job is to learn to tell it well! Do you believe what I just said … that you have a powerful story to tell? Friends, if you have come into relationship with God through his Son, Jesus Christ, then you have a wonderful, redemptive story to tell. Here’s why that’s true … Regardless how old you were when you came to faith, hopefully you were different before Christ than you are after Christ invaded your world and beautifully wrecked it with things like grace and mercy and love.
Remember the encounter that Jesus had with the guy in Mark 5 who had a number of demons inside of him?
Can you imagine what that experience would have been like for him? What do you think he told every, single person who would listen from that point forward?! “I was demon-possessed …. But then I met Christ! And now I’m healed … totally and completely healed.” His self-talk was probably fascinating in the hours following Christ’s act of healing. “This is unbelievable! Just moments ago, I was a totally different person … But now look at me! I’m in control … I’m peaceful … content – full of joy … I’m healed! It’s as if I were never sick! This is unreal. Absolutely unreal! Where did my hopelessness go? My helplessness? They vanished when Jesus set me free! They’re not here anymore. Jesus fixed all of that. I have hope! I want to live! I finally feel … whole.”
Do you see a before-and-after here?
I was sick. But now I’m well.
I was alone. But now I’m loved.
I was outcast. But now I’m accepted.
I was defiled … tainted. But now I’m good as new.
I was tarnished. But now I’m clean.
I was left for dead. But now I have … a future.
Here’s the point: This is a major transformational story – that most of us don’t have … but, for the vast majority of you sitting in this room, the same pattern is true for you. You also have a before … and an after … no matter how simple or basic it is …
And that’s about all people need to hear right out of the blocks … what you were like before you came to Christ. What the experience was like of embracing faith in him. And what you are like after that decision.
His message was very simple, but very powerful …
“I was striving … but now I’m at peace.”
“I was self-destructive … but now I’m healthy.”
“Guilty, but now liberated.”
“Fear-stricken, but now confident.”
“Despairing, but now hopeful!”
You also have a before and you have an after.
Your own before-and-after doesn’t have to be more complicated than this, friends. It just has to be simple, humble, succinct … and true.
How do I tell someone my faith story?
1. Be more of a listener than a talker.
John 4:29 “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?”
2. When you do share your story, use the Before – How – After method.
3. Make sure you present the “how” part clearly, simply and succinctly.
4. Pray as you’re sharing.
I think it’s really helpful to shape our own story in a way that’s clear and passionate as we experience opportunities to share it with someone.
Are we ready to be walk-across-the-room people? As a church? We all have two stories to share … His story and our story …
Remember this …
Romans 10 [14] But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? [15] And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!” [16] But not everyone welcomes the Good News, for Isaiah the prophet said, “Lord, who has believed our message?” [17] So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.
Just Walk Across the Room – The Power of a Story
As continue to learn how to become walk-across-the-room kind of Christ-followers – as we learn how to become a walk-across-the-room kind of church, we need to deal with two questions first:
• How do we talk about God in a way that’s clear and passionate – and even contagious?
• How do we convey our personal faith stories in a way that’s humble and interesting?
God gives us the amazing privilege of joining him in his primary work on this planet: helping people connect with Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 5 [18] And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. [19] For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. [20] So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us.
When we meet Jesus … and experience inner transformation — or when God really grips our hearts with his heart for people … something happens inside — that causes us to want to tell his story and our own faith story with others.
Just Walk Across the Room – Talking a Genunine Interest (Part 5)
How does this story relate to us today … and the idea of just walking across the room to connect with people … and even share the love of Christ with them?
Put yourself in the story at the well …
If you were there at the well – hot and tired, how would you relate someone who is quite different than you? Would you break though the walls that may be up? Would you be willing to risk love and walk across the room to them? Walls keep relationships nice and tidy … nice and neat — but love takes the risk to break down the walls and enter into the story of someone’s life that may be messy – that’s OK — if it truly is love.
In this story … love, honesty and compassion all weave together to meet someone in their pain and help them out of the mud and mire of their lives — into a new life with Jesus.
Just walk across the room … people are there like this woman — all around us …
Simple Steps We Can All Take …
… to touch the lives of people in emotional and relational pain.
Walk-across-the-room people are people who live life taking a genuine interest in others.
Are you ready to do that?
~ Be willing to take a risk to love others who may be in emotional pain.
~ Be more aware of those right around you who may be suffering alone.
~ Take a genuine interest by listening to their story.
~ Connect the love of Christ to their story in ways that click for them.
It’s true: the single greatest gift Christ-followers can give to the people in their lives is an introduction to the God who created them, who loves them, and who has a purpose for each of their days.
By taking a genuine interest in the lives of others, Christ-followers find that the mission Jesus lived and died for can be fulfilled in their lives too: people who bear the name of Christ can be God’s loving hands and active feet in a world that desperately needs to know of God’s cure.
Maybe you’re hoping that someone will take the time and genuine interest to walk across the room to you. Maybe you feel like the woman at the well in this story … you’re hurting like here … you’re depending on things in your life to fill the void that you feel … Jesus says — Follow me and I will give you the life that you’re longing for … won’t you give your cares, your hurts, your pains and your life to him? He’s alive and well … right here – right now with us.
If that’s you … reflect on God’s love for you … open your heart to Jesus today – won’t you?
Just Walk Across the Room – Taking a Genuine Interest (Part 4)
As the encounter with the woman at the well continues in John 4, notice how she responds to Jesus … she changes the subject and starts an argument … she’s running, evading — she’s desperate … she’s hiding from the truth – she doesn’t want to face her pain inside … Why? She feels guilt and shame when she faces the truth. (4:19-20)
Jesus then shows compassion again … and lets her go off the subject — he’s focused on her … and let’s her share — he listens and even answers her argument … (4:21-24)
Then, he connects with her heart in a huge way — by talling … I am the Messiah … (4:25-26)
She immediately leaves Jesus and runs back to her village … Come and see the Messiah!
That’s the story of one of the most incredible compassionate encounters that Jesus had with someone that was very different than he was … yet, he was able to walk across the room to her and take a genuine interest in her as a person that God loved.
What about you? As you walk across the room to connect with someone different than you who needs Christ, are you truly interested in them as a person?
