Matthew 5:16 (NIRV)
16 In the same way, let your light shine so others can see it.
Then they will see the good things you do.
And they will bring glory to your Father who is in heaven.
We must seize the moment for a good deed when it arises.
1 Corinthians 1:30 B (NIRV)
Love is the most excellent way to change the world.
Think about a person you know who is far away from God.
This process of changing the world through loving people is going to start with...
1. Adding value to them.
We shouldn't start with preaching.
We are salt (Matthew 5:13-16). We make things better.
How can you make them better?
The whole process is spiritual; however, it might not come across that way.
We start here.
2. Next, build intentional community with them.
You already have community with your family.
We're not trying to get you to stop your communities.
An intentional community is about authentically caring about each other.
That's how we change the world.
Hebrews 10:23-25 (NIRV)
23 Let us hold firmly to the hope we claim to have.
The God who promised is faithful.
24 Let us consider how we can stir up one another to love.
Let us help one another to do good works.
25 And let us not give up meeting together. Some are in the habit of doing this.
Instead, let us encourage one another with words of hope.
Let us do this even more as you see Christ’s return approaching.
There are misconceptions in regards to small groups.
Small groups are not lectures.
You don't have to have singing to have a small group.
Let's not get the order mixed up, and put the God thing up into their noses.
You don't have to have a teacher to have a small group.
The leader doesn't have to do everything.
Let's shift our mindsets a little bit and the language that we use in small groups.
At one point, you got a bad haircut. Did you quit getting haircuts?
You'll eventually have a bad small group experience.
Don't use that experience to justify quitting small groups altogether.
Not every small group will have the right fit.
We did a study and 8.75% of our small groups are not any good.
That's not an excuse to get out of community altogether.
Think about small groups as round tables.
It's not about the rows.
You don't want to be in a relationship with someone who is always telling you what to do.
I don't want to be in that kind of relationship.
Round tables shifts our thinking. It's not teaching.
It's us sharing life together.
We are not leaders but facilitators.
A facilitator is someone who makes something easier or less difficult.
We help our participates one step at a time to assist the progress of each person.
Acts 4:13 (NIRV)
13 The leaders saw how bold Peter and John were.
They also realized that Peter and John were ordinary men (idiots in the Greek) with no training.
This surprised the leaders.
They realized that these men had been with Jesus.
If you can help anyone to read the Bible, you're adding value.
Small groups can happen at any time and any where.
B. Round tables are interesting because they are based upon your passions and professions.
(What you love to do, and what you can do).
It could be about work.
It's could be about your interests.
A football game group.
A tailgating group.
You'll attract people who love the same thing that you do, and you'll begin to impact their lives.
C. Round tables are effective.
Both for you personally and for your group.
The biggest leaps in my own life is when I was leading a small group.
It was constantly stretching me and pushing me to grow.
It was doing more for me than I think for anyone in the group.
At the same time, I knew that people in my small group were being changed in a powerful way.
In God's economy when you invest in others, your value goes up.
If you're focused on you, your value is going down.
Transparency is key to this point.
If you think that you're there with all your problems fixed and you're there to fix all their problems, that's not going to work.
You either were a mess.
Are a mess, or one step away from being a mess.
If you're not willing to be real, I will submit to you that you're not ready to change the world.
Ecclesiastes 4:8-12 New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
8 A man lived all by himself.
He didn’t have any sons or brothers.
His hard work never ended.
But he wasn’t happy with what he had.
“Who am I working so hard for?” he asked.
“Why don’t I get the things I enjoy?”
That doesn’t have any meaning either.
In fact, it’s a very bad deal!
9 Two people are better than one.
They can help each other in everything they do.
10 Suppose either of them falls down.
Then the one can help the other one up.
But suppose a person falls down and doesn’t have anyone to help them up.
Then feel sorry for that person!
11 Or suppose two people lie down together.
Then they’ll keep warm.
But how can one person keep warm alone?
12 One person could be overpowered.
But two people can stand up for themselves.
And a rope made out of three cords isn’t easily broken.
People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care.
They don't know how much you care unless you are open and honest.
This is where caring and change begins to happen.
This is where iron sharpens iron, and where we begin to change one another.
When we walk through some junk together.
There has to be a sharing of the struggle. That's where caring happens.
Here is where the world begins to change.
James 5:16 New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
16 So confess your sins to one another.
Pray for one another so that you might be healed.
The prayer of a godly person is powerful.
Things happen because of it.
Confessing your sins is where healing happens in circles and not in rows.
Here's where we get it backwards.
We got fixed on the end of the process at the beginning by preaching at them.
We got it backwards. Today is all about the order of love.
The process of loving people where they are.
That's why we start with their need.
It's about the most important part of the process, but we have to take the steps to get there.
Chances are if you do the first three steps right.
They'll ask you about Jesus before you have a chance to tell them.
Jesus would come up and heal people.
He'd tell them to not tell anybody.
He didn't preach at them.
He met a need first.
2 Corinthians 5:20 New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
20 So we are Christ’s official messengers.
It is as if God were making his appeal through us.
Here is what Christ wants us to beg you to do.
Come back to God!
You are God's messengers to your sphere of influence.
2 Corinthians 5:14-15 New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
14 Christ’s love controls us.
We are sure that one person died for everyone.
And so everyone died.
15 Christ died for everyone.
He died so that those who live should not live for themselves anymore.
They should live for Christ.
He died for them and was raised again.
If we love like Jesus loved and emulate how He loved them.
We will change the world.
I want to pray for this process for the person that you've been thinking of.
Lord, help us to love others in the right order, so we can reach our sphere of influence.
It's a simple prayer to connect with Jesus.
You can sense if the Lord is drawing you to Himself.
Your heart is beating faster.
Lord Jesus, I want to be connected with you through relationship.
I accept you're death on the cross for me. Forgive all my mistakes.
Come inside of me to be my Lord and best friend.
Make me the person that you made for me to be.
Then they will see the good things you do.
And they will bring glory to your Father who is in heaven.
We must seize the moment for a good deed when it arises.
Think about a person you know who is far away from God.
This process of changing the world through loving people is going to start with...
We shouldn't start with preaching.
We are salt (Matthew 5:13-16). We make things better.
How can you make them better?
The whole process is spiritual; however, it might not come across that way.
We start here.
You already have community with your family.
We're not trying to get you to stop your communities.
An intentional community is about authentically caring about each other.
That's how we change the world.
The God who promised is faithful.
24 Let us consider how we can stir up one another to love.
Let us help one another to do good works.
25 And let us not give up meeting together. Some are in the habit of doing this.
Instead, let us encourage one another with words of hope.
Let us do this even more as you see Christ’s return approaching.
Small groups are not lectures.
You don't have to have singing to have a small group.
Let's not get the order mixed up, and put the God thing up into their noses.
You don't have to have a teacher to have a small group.
The leader doesn't have to do everything.
Let's shift our mindsets a little bit and the language that we use in small groups.
At one point, you got a bad haircut. Did you quit getting haircuts?
You'll eventually have a bad small group experience.
Don't use that experience to justify quitting small groups altogether.
Not every small group will have the right fit.
We did a study and 8.75% of our small groups are not any good.
That's not an excuse to get out of community altogether.
Think about small groups as round tables.
It's not about the rows.
I don't want to be in that kind of relationship.
It's us sharing life together.
We are not leaders but facilitators.
We help our participates one step at a time to assist the progress of each person.
They also realized that Peter and John were ordinary men (idiots in the Greek) with no training.
This surprised the leaders.
They realized that these men had been with Jesus.
If you can help anyone to read the Bible, you're adding value.
Small groups can happen at any time and any where.
(What you love to do, and what you can do).
It's could be about your interests.
A football game group.
A tailgating group.
Both for you personally and for your group.
It was constantly stretching me and pushing me to grow.
At the same time, I knew that people in my small group were being changed in a powerful way.
If you're focused on you, your value is going down.
Transparency is key to this point.
Are a mess, or one step away from being a mess.
If you're not willing to be real, I will submit to you that you're not ready to change the world.
Ecclesiastes 4:8-12 New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
He didn’t have any sons or brothers.
His hard work never ended.
But he wasn’t happy with what he had.
“Who am I working so hard for?” he asked.
“Why don’t I get the things I enjoy?”
That doesn’t have any meaning either.
In fact, it’s a very bad deal!
They can help each other in everything they do.
10 Suppose either of them falls down.
Then the one can help the other one up.
But suppose a person falls down and doesn’t have anyone to help them up.
Then feel sorry for that person!
11 Or suppose two people lie down together.
Then they’ll keep warm.
But how can one person keep warm alone?
12 One person could be overpowered.
But two people can stand up for themselves.
They don't know how much you care unless you are open and honest.
This is where iron sharpens iron, and where we begin to change one another.
There has to be a sharing of the struggle. That's where caring happens.
Here is where the world begins to change.
Pray for one another so that you might be healed.
The prayer of a godly person is powerful.
Things happen because of it.
Here's where we get it backwards.
The process of loving people where they are.
That's why we start with their need.
They'll ask you about Jesus before you have a chance to tell them.
He'd tell them to not tell anybody.
He didn't preach at them.
He met a need first.
It is as if God were making his appeal through us.
Here is what Christ wants us to beg you to do.
Come back to God!
We are sure that one person died for everyone.
And so everyone died.
15 Christ died for everyone.
He died so that those who live should not live for themselves anymore.
They should live for Christ.
He died for them and was raised again.
We will change the world.
It's a simple prayer to connect with Jesus.
Your heart is beating faster.
I accept you're death on the cross for me. Forgive all my mistakes.
Come inside of me to be my Lord and best friend.
Make me the person that you made for me to be.
Notes taken from Layne Schranz, Church of the Highlands, the more Excellent Way!
https://www.churchofthehighlands.com/media/message/the-most-excellent-way
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