LHH Culture

In review of LHH culture, we will be a church who:

1.      Shows LOVE,

2.      Seeks to SERVE,

3.      Desires COMMUNITY and

4.      Values DISCIPLESHIP.

 And as I shared last Sunday, we don’t look at these God-given purposes as separate entities, but rather as cyclical, meaning they intertwine together and are an integral part of you and me as we bring God’s light into a dark world.

Today we’re going to look at the 5^th area of purpose that God envisions for this church.

But before we jump into what God’s Word has to say about it, I need to say that this is one of those “touchy” subjects that many pastors are afraid to preach on and that some in the church feel the pastor should never mention.

Yet it involves the one subject that Jesus spoke of more than any other, except the Kingdom of God.  He spoke of it more than heaven and hell combined.  Of His 39 parables, 11 of them speak of this subject.  And in the Gospel of Luke, 1 out of every 7 verses mentions the subject.

So, I think you’ve guessed the subject is money.  And in particular we’re going to be looking at tithing and how God desires it to be taught, as well as its importance for the people of LHH.

In Luke 21: 1-4, Jesus is looking and watching people as they come into the area of the temple court where offering boxes were set up and women were allowed to be.  He watches as they bring their gifts, their tithes, their offerings to put into the temple treasury.

As He is watching, He notices that a widow has come in and dropped 2 small copper coins into one of the collection boxes.  And so He takes some time to teach His disciples on what He has just seen.

What’s neat to me about the words Luke recorded in his gospel is that he merely recorded a casual conversation that Jesus shared with His disciples.  And Jesus did this often – took the time to teach based upon what He was observing.

What He sees and hears during this observation are coins being deposited - deposited into inverted megaphone shape openings that funnel the coins into the boxes. 

So can you hear it?  Can you hear the coins clanging through the funnel onto the coins already collected?  I can.  I hear that lots of coins will make lots of noise, and a couple coins of the smallest currency will make little noise as they are dropped into the box.

And so does Jesus and His disciples.  And Jesus says, “I tell you the truth, this poor (literally) widow has put in more than all the others.”

Now His disciples, if they were really paying attention, are probably wondering, “What do you mean?  All the others put in large sums of coins and she only put in two of minimal value.”

But Jesus’ point then and for us now is this:  Quality over Quantity.

Jesus is not looking at how much a person gives, but rather the MOTIVATION behind the gift.

Many of the people who were putting their tithes in the boxes that day, were giving 10%, or maybe more, but it was being done out of ritual and vain conceit.  It was done with no thought of the importance and value that comes from giving.  They were giving because they were supposed to give.  They were giving because it was commanded of them in their religion.  They were giving because they wanted people to notice how righteous they were by giving. 

But the people of His day just weren’t getting it; and sad to say, neither do we. 

·         Jesus wants people to give out of GRATITUDE as they remember the gift of forgiveness offered to them through His sacrifice. 

·         Jesus wants those who have been blessed with more to give GENEROUSLY to God rather than keep it for themselves. 

·         Jesus wants people to give out of RELATIONSHIP and LOVE, not out of commandment.

This is a true story by Brian Kluth, radio host of Give With Joy.

A number of years ago, I was teaching a seminar on what the Bible teaches about finances to Christians in Eastern Europe. After the seminar, one of the people came and told me how much the teaching helped everyone. He said during the 70 years communism was in their country, people were told the Communist government owned everything and the government would provide for everyone. He went on to say that communism fell, and people came from America and said that capitalism was the way to go--where people own everything and they have to provide for themselves. He then said, today I learned the best news of all. God is the owner of everything and He is our provider. He learned people must be faithful and generous with whatever God gives them.

Here’s another true example by Brian Kluth that illustrates how God uses tithe given with the right intent – the right motivation.

I heard a missionary tell an amazing story of a child’s generosity. John Bechtel, a missionary in Hong Kong, wanted to start a Christian camp to reach people for Christ. A bankrupt multimillion-dollar hotel and conference center became available for sale. He made an offer to purchase the property and then traveled around the world to raise the millions he would need. But no one was willing to help and he returned to Hong Kong discouraged. Then one day he got a letter from a young girl that included $1 and a note saying she wanted him to use this to buy the camp. John Bechtel prayed and took the girl’s $1 to the real estate closing and the corporation decided to accept the $1 as full payment! Since the camp first opened, over a million people have come and over 100,000 have accepted Christ.

So God wants quality over quantity.  Quantity means nothing if being given for invalid intentions.  He wants our gifts to be given with the right spirit.  Jesus was telling His disciples, my paraphrase, “A little given out of SACRIFICE is far greater than a lot given out of conceit, pride, or indifference.”

And so Jesus says to His disciples to clarify His prior statement, “All these people gave gifts out of their wealth, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”

Jesus’ point in this statement is:  Tithing = Trust

This is critical.  He wants us to see in this woman someone who was willing to give everything she had because she trusted that God would meet her needs.

God wants to see in our giving that we are giving out of TRUST, and how much to give varies per individual and family.  But it is a very, very important component in our faith journey.

The widow that Jesus saw wasn’t looking for anyone to notice.  She put it in because she wanted to.  Jesus said she gave everything she had to live on into that offering box.  And basically, we can say that her 2 small coins were kind of like today’s penny – not much to live off of.

But yet, she did it knowing that she didn’t have a husband to provide a living for her.  She did it because she trusted that God would provide for her needs.

I think she really understood what Jesus taught His disciples in Luke 12: 27-31.

“Consider how the lilies grow.  They do not labor or spin.  Yet I tell you, not even Solomon, in all his splendor, was dressed like one of these.  If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith!  And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it.  For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows you need them.  But seek His Kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.”

Tithing equals trust.  In order to give – to give of my first fruits and not what is left over (the Biblical definition of tithing) – I must trust God to expand the income I have left.  My mind says this is not possible, but FAITH proves that it is true – that God truly provides for my daily needs when I’m willing to trust Him.

Brian Kluth shared another story on trust in giving.

Steve owned a small business and had an annual salary of $50,000. He went to a conference where Dr. Bill Bright challenged people to give a million dollars to the LORD’s work. Steve told Dr. Bright it would be impossible for his family to give a million dollars. Dr. Bright asked, “How much money did you make last year, and how much did you give?” Steve said, “My salary is $50,000 and we gave $15,000.” Dr. Bright said, “Next year, trust God to help you give $50,000.” But Steve said, “That’s my entire salary!” Dr. Bright said, “Trust God and see how He provides.” With God’s help, Steve’s business did well and his family joyfully gave $50,000. The following year, God helped them give $100,000. Each year, his family lived on his $50,000 salary and gave all their extra income to the LORD’s work. Within several years, they gave over a million dollars!

I share this story, not to guilt anyone, which would include me, but rather to show how it takes trust in order to see God work through our giving.  Giving takes extreme faith because we see the bills and we know how much income we have – it seems impossible to give.  Yet for some reason, living on 90%, with 10% going to God’s Kingdom, goes further than living on 100%.  Can’t explain it, other than it is God’s way of proving to us that He can be trusted in what He says.

At LHH, we will be a community of givers.  Though we pressure no one to give, we understand that in order for God’s ministry to occur – to reach-in to the people of His Church and to reach-out to the spiritually lost - we must give. 

I preach on tithing as a purpose – a vision – from God for this church because we want to be a church that invests into the people of this church.  I believe that tithe is meant to be used for ministering to others, not for paying large amounts for buildings and large salaries. 

So we want to use tithe as a PEOPLE INVESTMENT.  I believe that when people are struggling within the church we want to reach out to them to get them back on their feet.  In response, they will be encouraged to give in their future so that the investment can be used to benefit others who are facing financial struggles like they did. 

And so tithe is not merely a command to do, but rather a way to invest into the lives of people – a way to look like and be the community of believers as we read about in the Bible.

·      We want to use tithe to support the missional efforts of our COMMON UNITY GROUPS.  We believe that the people of the church can use the money more effectively to reach out to the spiritually lost and hurting in their communities.  We believe that by tithing back to the groups we are giving them an opportunity to share the love and truth about Jesus.  It’s called opportunistic evangelism.

·       We want to use tithe to participate in GLOBAL MISSIONS.  We want to help fulfill the command to the church to go into all nations and make disciples.

·       We want to use tithe to increase the QUALITY OF THE MINISTRIES we offer.

·       We want to use tithe to reach out to the PEOPLE OF HEDGESVILLE so as to build bridges to them rather than isolate ourselves on an island waiting for Jesus’ return. 

Remember, tithe is an investment for the future – the eternal – yet it has its benefits for today.  When we tithe we are building up treasures in heaven that will never run dry.  But also, we get to see God work today when He miraculously sees that our needs are met.

Jesus said in Luke 12:  33b, “Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.”

It’s often hard for us to do because we only see the temporary – the finite.  We see the trouble we’re facing right now and are just trying to survive in the instant.  But Jesus’ plan for us on earth is to prepare ourselves for the future.  So in order for you and me to effectively do this with our money, we have to learn to tithe.  And in tithing, God is looking for QUALITY AND TRUST.

Will you invest for the future?  Will you invest so that the Kingdom of God can expand through souls coming into a saving relationship with Him?  Will you invest so that your retirement is eternal and will be lavish and extravagant because you invested into the Kingdom of God?

Know this:  This investment is not like the ones we have on earth who gain one day and lose the next.  No, this is the one investment that never loses.  It is guaranteed for life - eternal life. 

LHH Culture

LOVE, SERVICE, AND COMMUNITY are three of God’s purposes for the individuals of His Church.  And the beautiful thing about God’s purposes is that they intertwine with one another to make the follower of Christ strong in and assured of his/her salvation.

LHH must be and will be a culture of people who care for and about one another.  It has to be, if we’re to truly say we are living according to God’s Word – to the teachings He passed onto His children throughout time – to the teachings Jesus gave us about the Kingdom of God.

And don’t forget that the time we are given to walk this earth, when we become children of God, is to be spent preparing ourselves for the eternal life that awaits us in Heaven.  

So knowing this changes our goals – our goals are no longer designed for what this short life on earth has to offer, but instead are based upon what Heaven offers.

Now remember, everyone is a creation of God, but not everyone is a child of God.

You are not a child of God until you make the choice that you need a Savior for your mistakes – your sins.  And it’s through your repentance of these sins that God counts you as His child.  It is through your repentance that God adopts you into His family.  And without adoption papers, we don’t get our name changed to God’s last name.

The choice to be ADOPTED falls completely on your shoulders and mine.  And if I don’t believe that Jesus is the INK that God uses to sign my adoption papers, then my belief in God means nothing.

1 John 2: 22-23 states, “Who is the liar?  It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ.  Such a man is the antichrist – he denies the Father and the Son.  No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.”

Have you made the choice to be adopted?  If you haven’t, don’t wait until tomorrow.  It may be too late. 

And if you made the choice recently or even today, the process of rearing is just beginning; whereas, the process of rearing never ends if you made the choice a while ago.

When Drew was born into my family almost 13 years ago, he took on the name we gave him – Drew Christian Cardwell.  But that was just the beginning for him and for us as his parents.  Fortunately for those adopted into God’s family, God doesn’t have to learn to be a parent on the fly like we humans do.  He wrote the book.  

But that’s not my point in this illustration.  My point is this, just as Drew has to be nurtured, trained, and loved from his infancy throughout his entire life by the imperfect Caroline and me, God must nurture, train, and love on His adopted children from their infancy in Christ until they come into His physical presence.

And this process of nurture, training, and love is what God desires to see lived out in the people of LHH.

In Matthew 28: 18-19, the church is given its’ mandate to reach out to the world.  And Jesus didn’t call the church to go out and get people saved.  Instead He spoke these words, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore go and make DISCIPLES of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.  And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

God’s Big Idea from this passage is this:  GOD WANTS DISCIPLES, NOT PUNCHED TICKETS.

And DISCIPLESHIP is merely applying and following the teachings and trainings of Christ.

So how were the disciples going to do this?  How were they going to make disciples?  They were going to make disciples by baptizing and teaching the new converts to obey the teachings that Jesus had taught them.

And you see there’s a huge difference between those who only want to be saved and those who are disciples.  Those who only see themselves as saved – as having a punched ticket – a “get out of hell” pass – give nothing more to Jesus than mere lip service.  Those who are disciples are being taught the core values of Jesus and are obeying them.

Tell me, who is Jesus more pleased to associate Himself with?  You’re right – the disciple.  With disciples there is RELATIONSHIP, and where there is relationship, there is OBEDIENCE.

LHH must be a culture that reaches out to the spiritually lost and blind of this world.  And when they make the choice to be adopted into God’s family, it is our calling to teach them to obey the ways of Jesus.  In doing so, they are being prepared for a future of eternity with God.

So how will the newly adopted be taught?  They will be taught through YOU & ME. 

We are Jesus in the flesh.  That can be scary – really scary!!!!!!  But if we obey His commands to live the way God has taught us to live, we will be a pretty good representation.  

We should be able to say to those coming into the flock, the church, “Look at me and follow my example.”  There’s not pride in such a statement because what others should be seeing in you and me is the lesson Jesus taught on humility.  If they are seeing this community loving and serving one another, they are truly seeing humility.

What does this really look like at LHH?  How do we become disciples?  How do we disciple others? 

Well, I really believe that the avenues you take in your spiritual growth flow out of you into others who are just beginning their walk.  So the laws of nature say, “You put nothing in, nothing will come out.  You put in more than the capacity can hold, and it has to overflow.”  

You get the picture – the discipleship of others will only be as GREAT as the disciple you are.

And at LHH there are many ways we encourage you to grow as a disciple of Jesus Christ; many being organic.  I’ll list five.

1)    Participate in COMMON UNITY GROUPS for a time of fellowship and study

2)    WORSHIP weekly on Sunday morning gatherings

3)    SELF-FEED – spend time daily in God’s Word through reading or listening to the Bible on CD

4)    Listen to CHRISTIAN RADIO – lyrics and teachings, and

5)    FAST AND PRAY – the source of one-on-one communication with the Teacher, Himself.

People need to see in you and me that we KNOW the God we serve.  And the more you know, the more you can share with others.  And the more you can share with others, the greater the fruit you are producing in their lives, as well as yours.

LHH must be a culture of people who VALUE STUDY – people who want to know everything there is to know about God – His principles and His commands.

Not so we can say, “Look at me!  Look at how knowledgeable I am about God.”  But rather so we can fulfill God’s purpose for each of us to go into the world and make disciples.  

After all, if we don’t obey the teachings of Jesus, how can we expect anyone else to follow His teachings?

So where are you today?  No matter whether you just made the choice to be adopted into God’s family or made the choice some time ago, God is in the business of rearing His children, and it’s called DISCIPLESHIP.

LHH Culture

LHH is God’s church – not that we believe we are His only church, but rather that we are His church if we live according to His purpose, vision, and plans.

God’s favor rests on individuals and churches who purposely seek to do His will in the time given to them on this earth.  And some really struggle to find God’s purpose and will for their lives – they search high and low, but never seem to find it.  Why? I mean they really want to find God’s purpose and will for their lives.

The reason for the struggle stems from the following 2 scenarios: 

1)  Some fail to see God’s purpose for their lives because there is pride in their search- they want to do BIG and AMAZING things for God solely for the glamour and fame they will receive as a result. 

2)  The second scenario involves no pride, but the search for purpose produces no results because they only see God’s purposes in the BIG things, missing the answers that are staring them directly in the face.

You know how I know?  I know because I have been on both sides of these scenarios.  I am speaking from experience. 

There were times where I wished I could be like Billy Graham winning tons of souls to Christ – how glamorous that would be!  There were also times where I wrestled with my purpose simply because I didn’t know who God really is.

So through my struggle, I bring to you the answers to God’s purposes that I have come to know.  And notice I didn’t say purpose, but purposes because God has multiple purposes for everyone.  

And these purposes are the culture of LHH that we are to exemplify to one another and to the people God brings into our lives.

We’ve already looked at the 2 purposes that Christ clearly modeled for us. They are LOVE AND SERVICE.

Today we’re going to look at a 3^rd piece of culture – a 3^rd piece of purpose that God envisions for the people of LHH.  We can find this piece in the first body of believers – the first church – as recorded in Acts – Acts 2: 42-47 and Acts 4: 32-37.

God’s Big Idea from these passages is:  CHURCH IS COMMUNITY.

And thank God that He inspired Luke, the Physician, to write down the history of the early church so that we might get a true picture of what church/what community should look like, be like, and feel like.  

Just look at the qualities we see in this group who had no theology/ no doctrine upon which to grapple and fight over.  They clearly had to live out their faith on the fly.  And from them we get our doctrine – the New Testament.

·        DEVOTED to learning and each other – they gathered to learn what the apostles had to teach them about Jesus, and they were more than just a group who casually said “hi” to one another.

·        SHARED with one another – they shared whatever they had with one another.  It was radical what they were doing.  Where no one else in society would take care of and support the widows and orphans, the church did. 

·        SOLD possessions to assist – they sold their possessions from time to time so that the money could be used by the church to assist those in the church who had need.

·        COMMUNICATED daily – they kept in communication daily by meeting in the temple courts (community center of the day) and meeting in people’s homes to eat together and to give praises to God.

You can almost hear the communication and concern these believers had for one another just through the facts that were recorded.  

In my mind I hear, “Hey, how you doing today?  How are things going in your life?  How you doing in the faith?  Is there anything I can do to help?  You know what, I’ve got some extra food, why don’t you come over and eat with me.  And if you need a place to stay until you get your feet back under you, feel free to stay with me.  God has blessed me with so much.  Just remember, what’s mine is yours.  In fact, I heard there was another family who just came into the faith that is really struggling to put food on the table.  So, I’m going to sell that piece of land I have and give it to the church to distribute to this family and anyone else who has need.  After all, Jesus taught us through the apostles that ‘where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.’”

I think it’s pretty obvious that church was not merely showing up at the temple once a week, or whenever it fit in their schedule.  

In fact, we see a church that was meeting at the temple to conduct God’s business.  They were gathering with eagerness and anticipation to LEARN from the apostles’ teaching that Jesus, Himself, had taught them.  They were gathering to REMEMBER what Jesus had done for them by partaking in the Lord’s Supper.  They were gathering to FELLOWSHIP and to PRAY.   They were gathering to ENSURE everyone who was in need was receiving the essentials they needed to live on for the day.  And they were gathering in each other’s homes to EAT and to PRAISE God for His bounty and favor.

This was a church that had grown from 120 people to 3120 people in one day, and was without a church building.   Though we aren’t given a clear timeline and don’t know how many of the 3000 that were saved and baptized remained in Jerusalem after the preaching of Peter at Pentecost, we are given a picture of what the early church looked like in Jerusalem for those who did remain. 

And the picture shows us a group of people with a COMMON UNITY – in other words a group in Community.

They LOOKED OUT for each other.  They CARED about each other.  They HELPED one another.  They were doing what God desired to see lived out in them as given to them by the apostles’ teaching.  They were being the Church.

In his book The Connecting Church, Author Randy Frazee writes, “The experience of authentic community is one of the purposes God intends to be fulfilled by the church.  The writings of Scripture lead one to conclude that God intends the church, not to be one more bolt on the wheel of activity in our lives, but the very hub at the center of one’s life…..”

And that’s what we see from the early church – a group whose center is in SHARING LIFE TOGETHER so that the needs of everyone – spiritually, physically, and emotionally – are being met in the name of Jesus Christ.

And this is what LHH will be – a church whose sole purpose is to be united in love and service for one another and to the community God has called it to be in.

To me, there is no greater cause than to be the church as God intended it to be.  It’s beautiful when the body of believers lay aside their PRIDE and JEALOUSY of one another to UNITE in a love for one another that has the world scratching its head.

And through their faithfulness – their devotion to the church of Jesus Christ, "the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."

Did you know that the huge Redwood Trees in California are the largest living things on earth and tallest trees in the world?  Yea, some of them are 300 feet high (a football field) and more than 2500 years old.  Yet, despite their magnitude and size, Redwoods have a very shallow root system – kind of like the pines of the east coast.

So how do they stand up?  How do they keep from falling when the storms and winds come?  They survive because the roots of these trees are intertwined – tied in with each other – interlocked.  And thus because their root system is interlocked, they support and sustain each other.  They need one another to survive.  And so do we!

LHH must be a culture of people INTERLOCKED with one another to assure our spiritual survival while here on this earth.

What Caroline and I want to do now is model to you that we truly believe in what God has given me to share today.  The Lord has blessed us with a home, as well as a log cabin with 20 acres about 1hour and 15 minutes from here.  Our home, which some of you have been to, is always open to any of you to come for a visit, for dinner, or for any need you need to discuss.  But, the main offering we want to share with you is the use of our cabin.  When we purchased it back in 2007, we saw God’s hand in giving us a place that we could use as an investment for our family and as an opportunity to minister to others.  So if you’re ever looking for an opportunity just to get away from the hustle and bustle of life – for a time of retreat – let us know.  It’s not a resort, nor is it near any entertainment venues, but it is a place easy to get to and will give you a place of solitude, reflection, and relaxation.  The keys are yours if you’d like them.

Church is COMMUNITY.  And LHH will be a place where people will find love and service wrapped up in a community of believers who care for one another.  

Are you in?

LHH Culture

We are continuing to define LHH culture today and its’ importance in our lives. 

By living, breathing, and being the culture God has envisioned for this church, we are guaranteed to see the faithfulness and blessings of God.  And, I’m not saying this will be easy and that there won’t be any roadblocks we will have to overcome.  I am saying that the blessing will come in our perseverance and the joy of living a life well lived.  And as said last week, the first and utmost important piece for this church is to bask in the LOVE of God and then show it to others.

Love must be evident in our lives.  And there is no way to show the unseen God to this world if we’re not living in love with one another and our neighbors.  Where our nature says “hate”, God’s nature says “love”.  And so by living in love, we are assured that God is living in us. 

Living in love totally contradicts our desires and replaces them with God’s.  And there is no greater way to live.

In Matthew 20: 20-28 we get to read Jesus’ words in response to the favor requested by the mother of James and John, two of His disciples.  And God’s Big Idea from this passage is pretty clear:  SERVING PLACES OTHERS ABOVE YOURSELF.

This is so hard to do because we have been trained to fend and take care of ourselves from a very young age.  In fact, parents’ have a goal for their children - that is to teach their children to be independent of them so that one day, when the children are grown up, they can take on the sole responsibilities for the lives they live.

Yet what is rather obvious to me in this passage is that we see the nature of humankind, the “what’s in this for me” attitude, coming out in the request of the mother.  

I often wonder when I read this passage if the boys went to their mom and said, “Can you go talk to Jesus for us?  We’re afraid to ask to be his right hand men because he probably won’t hear us out.  But you, you’re a woman and our mother and He just might listen to you.”  And then their mother obliges and says, “Sure sons’.  You deserve that right because you’ve been better disciples than the other ten.  In fact, this will look pretty good on the pocket book and our prestige in the community if you two can be in positions of power.”

And so mom walks up to Jesus with her two sons lagging behind and makes her request “Grant that one these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.”

But Jesus doesn’t jump for joy at the request saying, “Wow!  I finally got someone to volunteer to help me run my Kingdom.  I’ve been waiting for someone to step up.”  

Instead, Jesus rebukes the request by saying to James and John, “You don’t know what you are asking.  Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?”

And they say, “Yea”; thinking, that was easy.

And Jesus says in my paraphrase, “You guys should have thought that one through, because I’m not talking about drinking the King’s beverages.  Yea, you’re going to get what you agreed to.  You will indeed drink from my cup, the cup of suffering, and as far as position in my Kingdom, my Father will determine who sits where.”

But then the other apostles get wind of the conversation and request that James and John had made to Jesus through their mom.  So Jesus has to calm the storm – put out the fire.  Needless to say, they were a little hot.

Jesus abruptly says, “You know how the Gentiles rule – how they use their authority to get what they want?  Well, my disciples will not be this way.  Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be a servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become a slave.  So follow my example, I did not come to be served, but to serve and to give my life as a ransom for many.”

This is what LHH will be - A community who follows JESUS’ EXAMPLE - A community of believers who come together, not to be served, but rather to SERVE one another and the people God brings into our sphere of influence.

Why?  Why would God have this vision for this church – His Church?  It’s because He knows people.  He knows that in order for people to truly become His disciples they must have humility.  And the way to have humility is through service to others.

How does this work?  How does service to others bring about humility?  It works because service to others causes me to WORK FOR OTHERS when I feel like having them work for me.  It works because it causes me to see others as MORE IMPORTANT than myself.  It works because it is voluntarily MY CHOICE to do what is needed to be done and not something I’m forced to do.  It works because it is Jesus LIVING IN ME and through me, and Jesus was purely humble.

Let me share with you a story of a young lady named Sarah.  The story is entitled
Sarah’s Vase by David Cerqueira

Sarah’s parents were new to town, and she was just getting to know her classmates at church. As a second grader, she was full of energy and beaming with naughtiness. As Sarah’s Sunday school teacher, my wife provided me with a limitless supply of funny stories – Monday night dinner was usually served with Sarah’s latest antics. Everyone at church seemed to like her. She was simply an easy kid to fall in love with.

One Sunday my wife had prepared a lesson on being useful. She taught the children that everyone can be useful – that usefulness is serving God, and that doing so is worthy of honor. The kids quietly soaked up my wife’s words, and as the lesson ended, there was a short moment of silence. Then Sarah spoke up. “Teacher, what can I do?” I don’t know how to do too many useful things.”

Not anticipating that kind of response, my wife quickly looked around and spotted an empty flower vase on the window sill. “Sarah, you can bring in a flower and put it in the vase. That would be a useful thing.”

Sarah frowned. “But that’s not important.”

“It is,” replied my wife, “if you are helping someone.”

Sure enough, the next Sunday Sarah brought in a dandelion and placed it in the vase. In fact, she continued to do so each week. Without reminders or help, she made sure the vase was filled with a bright yellow flower, Sunday after Sunday. When my wife told our pastor about Sarah’s faithfulness, he placed the vase upstairs in the main sanctuary next to the pulpit. That Sunday he gave a sermon on the honor of serving others, using Sarah’s vase as an example. The congregation was touched by the message, and the week started on a good note.

As a pediatric physician, I have developed an uncomfortable feeling about telephone calls. During that same week I got a call from Sarah’s mother. She worried that Sarah seemed to have less energy than usual and that she didn’t have an appetite. Offering her some reassurances, I made room in my schedule to see Sarah the following day. After a battery of tests and days of examinations, I sat numbly in my office, Sarah’s paperwork on my lap. The results were tragic.

On the way home I stopped to see Sarah’s parents so that I could personally give them the sad news. Sarah’s genetics and the leukemia that was attacking her small body were a horrible mix. Sitting at their kitchen table, I did my best to explain to Sarah’s parents that nothing could be done to save her life. I don’t think I have ever had a more difficult conversation than the one that night. Sarah’s mom looked me in the eye and with tears asked, “How can this happen? Why would God allow this?”

As doctors, we try everything to save a life. Sometimes we find ourselves wishing to trade our life for that of one of our patients, especially when they are as dear as Sarah. But sometimes, nothing can be done, and a tragic end is only a matter of time. Sarah was to have such an ending. Such a beautiful life, ended by such pain and anguish. It became difficult not to question the goodness of God in Sarah’s life.

Time pressed on. Sarah became confined to bed and to the visits that many people gave her. She lost her smile. She lost most of her weight. And then it came: another telephone call. Sarah’s mother asked me to come see her. I dropped everything and ran to the house. There she was, a small bundle that barely moved. After a short examination, I knew that Sarah would soon be leaving this world. I urged her parents to spend as much time as possible with her.

That was a Friday afternoon. On Sunday morning church started as usual. The singing, the sermon – it all seemed meaningless when I thought of Sarah. I felt enveloped in sadness. At the end of the sermon, the pastor suddenly stopped speaking. His eyes wide, he stared at the back of the church with utter amazement. Everyone turned to see what he was looking at. It was Sarah! Her parents had brought her for one last visit. She was bundled in a blanket, a dandelion in one little hand.

She didn’t sit in the back row. Instead she slowly walked to the front of the church where her vase still perched by the pulpit. She put her flower in the vase and a piece of paper beside it. Then she returned to her parents. Seeing Sarah place her flower in the vase for the last time moved everyone. At the end of the service, people gathered around Sarah and her parents, trying to offer as much love and support as possible. I could hardly bear to watch.

Four days later, Sarah died. I cancelled my morning appointments and sat at my desk, thinking about her and her parents, hurting. I remember the funny stories that my wife told about Sarah. I remembered the sweet sound of her laughter. I remembered that telephone call that brought the sadness.

Tears filled my eyes as once again I struggled not to question the goodness of God in allowing Sarah’s life to end in such a horrible way.

I wasn’t expecting it, but our pastor asked to see me after the funeral. We stood at the cemetery near our cars as people walked past us. In a low voice he said, “Dave, I’ve got something you ought to see.” He pulled out of his pocket the piece of paper that Sarah had left by the vase. Holding it out to me, he said, “You’d better keep this; it may help you in your line of work.”

I opened the folded paper to read, in pink crayon, what Sarah had written:

Dear God,

This vase has been the biggest honor of my life.

Sarah

Sarah’s note and her vase have helped me to understand. I now realize in a new way that life is an opportunity to serve God by serving people. And, as Sarah put it, that is the biggest honor of all.

LHH must be a culture of love and service. 

As Caroline and I sat in a Church Planter’s Bootcamp, I dreamed of a phrase that would encapsulate my passion for growing people in the likeness of Christ. 

And God gave me the phrase that is on the front of your bulletin - Loving and Serving to Know Christ. 

God made it very clear that if the people of LHH were to know Christ – to know Him intimately – they must learn to LOVE AND SERVE as He did.

So how do we do this?  How do we serve? 

There’s no magic formula or special assignment for serving.  Rather, it’s as simple as OBSERVING the needs around you and ACTING to meet those needs.  It’s as simple as practicing HOSPITALITY.  It’s as simple as being KIND.  It’s as simple as HEARING that still small voice stirring inside you to do something and OBEYING it.

In conclusion, LHH will be a culture of service.  And the more we model service to our community and our children, the more we RESEMBLE Christ.

Remember, serving others is as simple as consistently placing a yellow flower in a vase, even when your body is shutting down, because it’s important and God has called you to do it. 

LHH Culture

Over the next 7 weeks, we will be looking at 7 areas of culture that God desires to see lived out in this church – in you and me because we are the church.

These 7 areas were birthed out of countless hours of prayer and study – birthed out of countless hours of communication with God.  And these 7 areas are my passion because I know that if we live them out we will be living out our purpose here on earth. 

If we are active in being the people God wants us to be, we will see a church united in faith that will be pleasing to Him.  If we pursue the culture God has so vividly allowed me to see, we will one day stand before God with confidence and hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”  And I don’t know about you, but these are the words I long to hear when my time on this earth comes to an end.

Before diving into God’s word, I thought I’d share a true story by Sally Arnett that will lead us into the first area of culture that God wants for LHH.

Love Is Action, Not Feeling

"If I never saw this kid again, Lord, I wouldn't be sorry!" I thought.

Tears clouded my eyes as I stood in our laundry room. Clenched in both hands were new jeans and a shirt belonging to my 16-year-old stepson, Brett. The clothing was already destroyed from burn holes and vomit stains after a drunken binge.

Exhausted and defeated, I sank to the floor. The clothes were just one more thing Brett had ruined. He had already kicked a large hole in his bedroom wall; his bedcovers were torn. Numerous windows in our house needed repair due to his breaking in to steal money when he chose to live on the street. Yet none of this could compare to the emotional damage Brett had inflicted on our once quiet home.

I knew that Brett's needs were deep, and I had often prayed for wisdom and love. The second greatest commandment, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," had taken on new meaning when Brett came to live with us when he was 12 years old. If I were to love my neighbor, was I not to love my own troubled stepson even more?

During those four years I had dealt with Brett as patiently as possible, but inside I was churning. "I don't want him in my house another day, Lord," I cried as I knelt on the laundry room floor. "I just can't stand him!"

Chest heaving, I poured out my despair. Then God tenderly spoke to me in my weakness. Matthew 25:35-40 rose in my thoughts---Jesus' declaration that when we invite a stranger, feed the hungry, clothe the naked or visit those in prison, we are doing it as unto Him. For the first time I saw this story in light of the action words. Jesus was saying, "Act. Meet these people's needs. Through your actions you are loving them and Me."

God's encouragement to me that day helped me to gather strength and continue parenting Brett. Still, Brett did not change his behavior.

When Brett was nearly 18, he landed again in Juvenile Hall, this time on suicide watch. Through prayer, my husband, Dave, and I sensed God's leading to send Brett to a boarding school with a high success rate for helping troubled teens.

The psychological training at Brett's school was rigorous. Out of more than 20 people in his class, Brett was one of only five graduates.

At the graduation ceremony the graduates stood one by one to thank those who had helped them. Each graduate held a long-stemmed, white rosebud to give to the person who had meant the most to him or her.

Brett spoke lovingly to his mother and father and for the first time took responsibility for the heartaches he had caused.

Finally Brett spoke to me. "You did so much," he said. "You were always there, no matter what. My mom and dad, I was their kid. But you just got stuck with me. All the same you always showed me such love. And I want you to know that I love you for it."

Stunned, I stood as Brett placed the white rosebud in my hand and hugged me hard.

At that moment I realized the truth in God's words to me. Although I had struggled with silent anger toward my stepson, Brett had seen only my actions.

Love is action. We may not always have positive feelings about certain people in our lives. But we can love them.

God says LOVE must be evident in each of our lives, but not through mere words.

And God’s Big Idea for LHH culture from 1 John 4: 7-21 is this:  SINCE GOD SO LOVED US, WE ALSO OUGHT TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

How do we do this?  How do we love one another?  We show it through our ACTIONS.  Love – true love, not romanticized feelings – is displayed in our ACTIONS toward others. 

And our actions look like this:  We GREET with a smile; We see needs and assist; We PRAY; We don’t judge for sin and appearance, but encourage to seek righteousness; We ENJOY and APPRECIATE; We listen and are engaged; and We CARE.

God makes it pretty clear through the apostle John that the church must be a place of love.

Verse 7 – LOVE ONE ANOTHER for love comes from God

Verse 8 – No LOVE!  No GOD!

Verses 9-10 – Love FIRST came from God

Verse 12 – Love for one another DISPLAYS an unseen God because He lives in us

Verse 16 – LIVING in love means you live in God and God in you

Verses 17-18 – Live in love!  No FEAR on the Day of Judgment

Verses 19-21 – Loving God REQUIRES love of man

The culture of LHH must be one of love because the greatest love ever given to this world – to you and me – was an atoning sacrifice for sins through God’s Son, Jesus.  If love doesn’t exist – isn’t displayed through us – then we are not the Church. 

We must be a people who see all through the COMPASSIONATE EYES of Jesus.  We must be a people who are willing to be PATIENT with others God wants to save – for He wants no one to perish.  We must be a people who ENCOURAGE one another to persevere in the faith.

Notice I did not say PLACE.  Church is not a place, but rather is the people who make up the Body of Christ – for Christ is the Church.

And so we MUST RESEMBLE the One who is Head of His Church.  LHH is nothing without this love that Jesus has shown us.  And if we say we love Jesus, but have not love for our neighbor, we are liars – not a true representation of the Church of Jesus Christ.

The December 5 devotional by David McCasland in the Our Daily Bread devotional booklet says this about God’s love, “God’s love is not a slowly dripping faucet or a well we must dig for ourselves.  It is a rushing stream that flows from His heart into ours.  We can draw from the Lord’s inexhaustible source to know His loving care for us, and we can pass it on to others.”

And so this is what we will be.  We will be a church that surrounds itself in the love of God so that others may know His love through us.  We have no greater responsibility than to show the world the love that has been shown to us.

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. (John 3: 16-17)

God loved you and me so much that He allowed the only perfect human, Jesus His Son, to be killed so that we could have life forever. 

Shouldn’t we want to show that same kind of love to those God brings into our worlds?