October 27 & 28, 2001 Sermon

October 27 & 28, 2001

"The Open Door "

Mike Slaughter

Isaiah 54:2-3
2: "Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes..."
3: For you will spread out to the right and to the left; your descendants will dispossess nations and settle in their desolate cities.

Good evening, people of Jesus. Have you ever experienced somebody who went so out of their way to meet a need of yours that it kind of blew your socks off? Here's one. I was speaking on a Saturday morning in Pittsburgh, doing a conference for church pastors and church leaders. I had an afternoon flight back here to do worship. It was 1:00 and I was at the airport sitting and talking to an older retired couple who had come to the airport to see someone off . . . and my flight was canceled. This older couple knew that I was a pastor and that I had to get back to Dayton to do worship, so they said, "We'll drive you back to Dayton." For the next four hours they drove me back to Ginghamsburg Church. They stayed for Saturday evening worship, then got in their car and drove back to Pittsburgh! Now I want to say that they opened the doors of their car in incredible ways. How big is your doorway?

I. How Big Is Your Door?
Open your Bibles to Isaiah 54:2. This is the passage that we are focusing on for four weeks as we emphasize the spiritual journey around the question "Will you grow?" "Enlarge the place of your tent. Stretch your tent curtains wide, expand your door (your means of access for God's influence). Don't hold back. "Lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes for you will spread out to the right and to the left. You will expand your influence - your means of access - for God. You are the means of access for people to come to God. Did you know that? Look to your right and look to your left. Of all the plans that God had to connect other people to God, you're it. Isn't it an amazing choice that God trusts this incredible mission to you!

Mark 2:3
3: Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them.

The Biblical story that depicts the mission of Ginghamsburg Church is found in the second chapter of Mark. This is THE story that depicts our mission and reason for existence. Jesus was teaching at someone's home. Crowds heard that he was there and that God was moving. Any time we hear that God is doing something, lives are being changed, and people are being transformed - folks show up. We started down the road in that little two-room country church. That little church had been there from 1876, but the word spread that God was moving and doing something and crowds showed up. Any time crowds show up there's going to be inconvenience. We read that the doorway was no longer accessible. It could no longer accommodate the needs. But there were four guys who understood the mission of Jesus. The mission of Jesus is not to go to a place, hear him speak, and write down little goodies that you can take away for your life. The mission of Jesus is to bring other folks who need his healing with you. They had a paralyzed friend that they grabbed and were trying to get to Jesus because Jesus, alone, has the power to change and transform people's lives. I can't change people's lives. You can't change people's lives. You don't want to get them to Mike Slaughter. The goal is not even to get them to Ginghamsburg Church. The goal is to get them to Jesus.
Before I was a pastor, I was a psychiatric social worker at the University of Cincinnati Hospital. I worked on the eighth floor. People would come and stay on the psych unit, generally for an average of about three weeks. My job was to arrange post-hospital care with them. A man came into the psych unit with DTs. DTs happen in the final stages of alcoholism, with all kinds of tremors and hallucinations. This man was in the final stage of alcoholism and was in his mid-thirties. After his three-week stay he was with me in my office and we were planning post-hospital care and treatment. This was a multiple-time loser who had been in hospitals many times. Too many more times and he would die. Alcohol was killing him. I said, "Paul, I have spent thousands of dollars and four years of my life trying to learn what I could tell you would work in your life. After four years of education and thousands of dollars, I'm not sure it will work. But I want to tell you what will." We weren't supposed to be doing this. That's why I figured it was time to change vocations. If you're not sure what you're doing will work, but you know what will, it's time to change. And I told him about Jesus Christ. I am not going to apologize for my witness to Jesus. I don't care how politically correct I am in saying this, but all religions are not equal. Unlike any other religion, it is in Jesus Christ that I see inclusiveness for in Jesus there is neither male nor female. Of all the religions of the world, only in Jesus do I see this breaking down of the gender barrier. In Jesus, there is neither Greek nor Jew. That's the breaking down of the racial barrier standing between us as people. In Jesus there is neither circumcised nor uncircumcised. That's the religious barrier that stands between us as people. I don't witness to Christianity, I witness to Jesus. Christianity will not change people. Jesus will change people. In Jesus there's neither slave nor free. That breaks down the social class barriers that stand between us.
I'm not going to apologize for spending my life trying to get people to Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the liberator, the uplifter of people. Do you realize that almost every public school around the world was begun through followers of Jesus Christ? I spoke in a Muslim village in India to 2,000 Islam folks. They were very hospitable. At the end of my talk we marched down the road in a parade and they took me to the mayor's house. Two thousand people gathered all around the mayor's house. I sat on the porch and they gave me oranges and bananas. There was one little health clinic in this whole area. Guess who ran it? Two Christian doctors. Two Indian women who were educated in this country and went back to serve their own people. They made $300 each a month. Do you know what they could have made as physicians in this country? Because of the love of Jesus Christ. Isn't it interesting that Jesus' followers don't resent people of other faiths, but we go in and serve them with the love of Jesus Christ? We don't want to kill them, bomb them, or tear them down. We want to demonstrate the love of Jesus. I will not apologize.
To expand your door you've got to get involved. Four men came to Jesus bringing a paralytic. This cannot be accomplished by one or two. Three weeks ago on a flight from Seattle over the Pacific, the pilot came on the intercom. He said, "We need you to get where we're going. There are three of us up here and 300 of you back there. We have discovered since September 11 we can't get there by ourselves. We're depending on you to be ready for action." There's one of me up here and 750 of you out there. And we can't get to where we need to go with me, myself and I. I am depending on you to be on mission for the purpose of Jesus Christ.
Have you ever wondered how people decide to either get involved or just sit there? You read about how people don't intervene when a mugger attacks another person. But sometimes a person will intervene and risk their life. I'm talking about the Todd Beamers of the world, the man on Flight 93 who stood up and said, "Okay, let's roll." What's the difference between the people who decide to get up and get involved and those who sit there? I have a friend in this church. He's 94 years old. His name is Leland. At 94, he continues to allow God to stretch his doors wide open.
(video clip testimony of Leland Sprecher)
My name is Leland Sprecher. I'm 94 years old today and I have been a Christian for about 86 or 87 years. I go to Ginghamsburg Church on Saturday night. I find that Saturday night is open - and I can't think of anything better. If I sit down at the donut shop and I don't know the person next to me, I strike up a conversation. "Where do you go to church?" If they say, "I don't go," well, that's a signal, go after them. You've got a chance here now and I would say 18-20 have been fetched in by my invitation. I always take them. I don't say, "You go and we'll meet you." I take one at a time usually. I enjoy seeing them enjoy the service and I feel good about doing that. At 94, I won't be around here much longer. I can't expect to. So I want to cover as much territory in this spiritual aspect as I can. We're told that's one of the things we are to do - to be about his business and as long as I'm able I'll be contacting individuals about their spiritual status. I'll probably go on as long as I can.

Mark 2:4
4: Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on.

Leland doesn't just invite. He picks them up in his car and brings them here! You heard that! You have to get involved. There's one of me up here and 750 of you out there. I'm counting on you to be on mission. Look at verse 4. Not only do you have to get involved - you have to get dirty. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus. In other words, you have to make doors where there are no doors. After digging through the roof, can you imagine the mess? I can hear them now, just like church people: "We just put that roof on last year!" It's not about the roof - it's about people who need Jesus. The mission of Jesus is costly, messy and inconvenient. It is never neat. It goes way beyond institutional participation. Some people think they are faithful because they've shown up and put their time in. That's not what following Jesus is about. To expand, you have to exceed the limitations of your comfort zone. It's not showing up in church and saying you were with some Christians. You've got to bring people into your house. One thing about crowds where God is working - you show up in a church like this and you can hide out in a crowd. Jesus isn't calling you to hide out in a crowd. He is calling you to get dirty.
Last January we talked about being on mission and I asked you to identify three people you wanted to experience the love of God through Jesus Christ. You were going to build relationships with these three people. How are you doing? It's not too late. I'm reminding you. What I really like seeing here is that we are beginning to cross color barriers - because heaven is not segregated. We're here to demonstrate what the kingdom of God looks like. It's not just coming to a big place where diverse people hang out. It's becoming brothers and sisters with each other. It's inviting each other into our lives and our homes.
Ultralive is what we call our teen club events held at the Avenue. Since we opened a year and a half ago over 40,000 kids have come through those doors. It is almost impossible to keep up with the unpaid servants we need there every week. It's hard over there - do you know why it's hard? Most of these kids are not Christians. They don't know the rules. Mission in the real world is not for wimps. But I want to remind you of the results when we dare to get dirty.
(video clip - Meet Michael D.)
Michael: I came to the Avenue for the first time about three months ago. When I first walked in it was like WOW. It was a lot different than I thought it was going to be. I saw a lot of people playing basketball, skateboarding, talking, some of the staff . . . just a bunch of people having fun.
John: We were doing an after-hours that we started about a month ago. About 11:30 we close up everything and then go into the coffee shop. Ken Overholser was talking that night about changing direction.
Michael: I just kind of had tears running down my face and started crying and John was sitting behind me. . .
John: I'll never forget when I looked at him and the pain that was in his eyes. You could tell he had been crying, and I asked, "What do you need, man? What can I do for you?" And all he said was, "It's time for me to change."
Michael: I prayed and asked for forgiveness, asked for strength. It made me feel a lot stronger inside, like I can make it through life.
John: Then we prayed a little bit longer. I prayed and asked God to strengthen Michael during his new Christian walk and then I said, "Let's go for donuts." I look forward to growing in my relationship with Mike, to studying in the word of God with him, to praying with him and doing anything I can to help him along with his walk with Jesus Christ.
Michael: We're good friends and we try to help each other out.
John: I'm hearing that Mike is real excited about his new Christianity and has talked to his parents.
Michael: I would like to become a mentor some day for people that need it at the Avenue.
John: I'm very blessed that Mike has let me be a part of his life.

II. How Big Is Your Heart?
Not easy, but incredible results when we're willing to get dirty. We must continually allow God to expand our means of access. Religious people can make it difficult for other people to get to God. They tend to narrow the door instead of expanding the door. When Jesus died - check this out in the Word - there was a curtain in the Temple. This curtain separated the Holy of Holies from ordinary people, limiting their access to God. The moment Jesus died on the cross the curtain was ripped in two, which allowed ordinary people to have access to God. It's why we do church the way we do. Why do we do Creed's "Arms Wide Open"? So that ordinary people can have broader access to God. Why do we allow people to bring coffee in the sanctuary? Because God's not in the building business, God's in the people business. "Well, someone might spill coffee on the carpet and get stains on the carpet!!" God's not worried about stains on the carpet - he's worried about stains in people's lives. Why do we build youth centers? So ordinary people can have access to God. I hope you're praying every day and reading the Word. Did you do your homework this week and read Malachi? When you are growing, God expands your heart capacity. Not only are you the means of access for people to come to God, you are God's source for healing and hope in other people's lives. Not only are you the doorway in, you are the conduit of God's blessing out. Jesus said, "As the Father has sent me, so I send you. The things I do you will do and greater things than these." You are the extension of Jesus' mission in the world.

Matthew 10:8
8: Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.

2 Corinthians 9:6
6: Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.

Listen to these words of Jesus to his disciples. Here is the charge he gives us: "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy. . ." I'm so excited about how churches are being the church. There's a church called the Village Church in Greenwich Village. They have an incredible ministry to people with AIDS. That's the modern meaning of cleanse those who have leprosy. " . . . drive out demons. . ." You know, when they get Bin Laden, evil will just transfer into another herd of swine. The only way evil will be defeated is through the character and love of God's people. ". . . freely you have received, freely give." Not only are you the means of access for people to come to God, you are the conduit for God's blessing. Freely as you receive from Jesus, freely give. Here is an important life principle that you need to write on your spouse's or friend's head so you see it all week. God will resource you in direct proportion to your willingness to resource other people. I am in II Corinthians 9:6. Listen to this: "Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly. And whoever sows generously will also reap generously."

2 Corinthians 9:10-11
10: Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.
11: You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

Here is principle #2 you can write on your friend's forehead. Life is not about you. Get over it!! We are not here to see how many toys we can accumulate in a lifetime. Life is about investing in God's purpose on Planet Earth. That's why we're here. So when it says whoever sows generously, they are saying whoever takes what God has given you - no matter how little or how much - and invests it in God's mission will reap generously. Whoever takes what they have and uses it just for their own means will not reap generously. Now look at the tenth and the eleventh verses. "Now God who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you will be generous on every occasion." God blesses us for one purpose - our generosity. The more we are generous, the more we will be blessed to be more generous.

Luke 9:12-17
12: Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, "Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here."
13: He replied, "You give them something to eat." They answered, "We have only five loaves of bread and two fish--unless we go and buy food for all this crowd."
14: (About five thousand men were there.) But he said to his disciples, "Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each."
15: The disciples did so, and everybody sat down.
16: Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them. Then he gave them to the disciples to set before the people.
17: They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.

Jesus gave his disciples a test in the ninth chapter of Luke. Late one afternoon, Jesus was teaching and miracles started happening. Any time we are together in the presence of Christ, miracles will happen. People will find new life. Some people will be healed - spiritually, physically, emotionally, relationally. Miracles will happen and sometimes we're not even aware of it. I was with a friend of mine in ministry. We were in a meeting together. She had always been deaf in one ear. We left the meeting and she said, "I can hear!" I said, "What do you mean?" She said, "My ear opened." That is what can happen anytime we're together in the presence of Jesus. God is a God of surprises. What we see in Luke 9:12 is the disciples beginning to get nervous. Any time a lot of folks come around it is going to tax our resources. When I started as a pastor here, our total annual budget was $27,000. That paid for everything. But then Jesus started working and people's lives started to be changed. People come with needs and we get nervous because we can't meet all those needs. We want to send these people out so they can have their needs met. Let them go away and find food and lodging. Now notice the test in the thirteenth verse. Jesus said, "Don't send them away to have their needs met. You meet their needs. You give them something to eat." Here's the way we think. What do you mean, give them something to eat? We only have five loaves of bread and two fish - that's not even a good lunch for the 12 of us! So unless we make more money, Jesus, we can't give out of the meagerness of the resources we have. We don't have enough for a good lunch, we can't pay the rent, so unless we get a raise - get off our back, Jesus! But notice how Jesus demonstrates a lifestyle of generosity. Verse 16: "He took the five loaves and two fish from the guys. He received their meager gift. He blessed it and gave it back to the disciples and told them to begin to pass it out among the people." He said, "You forget where that bread and fish came from. As long as you have it in your hand, it's only going to be lunch and I'm not going to bless it. But if you put it in my hand I will bless it. Don't hang on to it and eat what I've just blessed. Take the first of what I've given you and use it to bless other folk." What happened when they used that meager little five loaves of bread and two fish? The disciples began to hand it out. There were 5,000 people there. They all ate and were satisfied. The disciples picked up 12 baskets full of broken pieces that were left over. They got back far more than they put in in order to be generous again for God's purpose.

Mark 12:17
17: Then Jesus said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's." And they were amazed at him.

Carolyn and I made a commitment in May of 1976 to quit dinkin' around with God. We committed to take the first ten percent of the gross amount of money that God trusted us with and give it to God. Gross!! Shouldn't it be net?? Jesus said render unto Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's. Does the IRS tax on gross or net? Why does God deserve less than the IRS? So we quit dinkin' with God. We said we're going to take the first of what you give us to give a blessing for your mission - the first ten percent. When we did that we made a commitment to live out of discipline and obedience to the authority of Jesus Christ - not our appetites. Some of you were tempted this week - zero interest rates on cars for up to 60 months! I need one of those new Chevy trucks! An Avalanche! If you need a car and it's the right time financially to get a car, it might be real smart to get a car right now. But my car only has 100,000 miles on it, and I've got to be a blessing. Then I live - not by my appetite and what I want - but as a disciple under discipline who is honoring God as I bless others.
Jim Elliott, one of my heroes, was a missionary to the Auca people in Ecuador. In 1956 he was murdered by the very people to whom he was ministering. What absolutely amazes me is that the wives of the murdered missionaries stayed with their children and won the very persons that killed their husbands to the Lord Jesus Christ. The descendants of those Auca people are now missionaries all around the world. They found his journal on his body as he lay on the riverbed where he was murdered. This is what he said: "He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." What do we keep it for? They're going to plant this body in the ground. We're no fools when we are willing to sacrifice this which we can't keep anyway to gain what we can't possibly afford to lose - eternity with God. We do that by being open doors of blessing to people all around us.
I want you to continue this week in II Corinthians 8 & 9 - that's your homework - to spend however much time - 15 minutes, half an hour, an hour - listening to God, and writing down what you hear God say and asking God to show you your next step.
Let's pray. Lord God, it's humbling to come together as sisters and brothers, to risk being real with you and authentic with each other. We're asking you, Lord, in these weeks to show us the next step. Stretch me, God, for I do not want to be a follower of Jesus in theory only. Let others see your authenticity in me. It's in Jesus' name that we come, and it is in Jesus' name we go. Amen.