Develop Friendships & Discover Stories

Hey, good morning. Woo hoo. Yes, I'm back.

What a mess.

It's just great. Listen, it's a great day. You know why I know it's a great day? Because Jesus woke us up. He didn't have to.

Amen. Amen. Hey, you got your bibles. Turns me to first Thessalonians. That's where we're going to be to begin this morning.

And while you're flipping over there, out here in your foyer area, if you go out the doors and hang a right, I've got our display and a little booth set up. We'd love for you to come by there and grab a brochure about what we're doing in disaster with the organization of just helped one. There is something for everybody to be a part of. Young and old. We are family friendly.

I've taken as young as 3 and as old as 94. I talked to a 95 year old a few months ago, he says, does that mean I can't come? I said, no, you need to come so we can extend that number. That's what we need to do. And so anyway, we'd love to talk to you about that and come by and see how you can be a part of what we're doing.

It is just great being here. I love this church. I love you and just the opportunity to be able to come and share the word. When Matt messaged me a while back and said, hey, we're doing this series, the series, the one, he goes, man, he goes. I'd love for you to come in and be a part of that series because there's a message.

I really think you're just the perfect one to do, which I think somebody paid him to say that. But the title of the message, you may already know this, I don't know if you've already saw the title or not, but I'll tell you that here in a minute. But as I was just thinking through and praying about what God would want me to share, I knew two things that service one, we're gonna have to make sure we keep within the time because of service two, so. So be praying you'll still beat The Baptists in McDonald's, don't worry. But second service, I don't know, they'll beat the Catholics for sure, but anyway, I don't know about the Baptist, but anyway.

But I was just praying that God would lay on my heart what he would want me to share because he knew who was gonna be here. But here's the thing that I've shared Every time I've been here and when I travel and speak, I tell people the same thing. And I mean this from the bottom of my heart. I. I am just preaching to myself, allowing you to listen in. Cause I don't have it all figured out and I screw up a lot.

Anybody else in that category with me, I can't see half of you, but I mean, confession's good for the soul. But anyway, so let's pray and we're going to jump in this morning. I entitled a sermon this morning, developing Friendships and Discovering Stories. Stories is the title. And I know Pastor Matt preached last week on Luke 15, which.

Don't tell him I said this. I wish I'd had that one, because I absolutely love that chapter, just because of the one. And that's all I'm going to say about that. But let's pray and we're going to jump in this morning. Father, thank you again for waking us up today and giving us the gift of this day.

God, I'm grateful for. For the opportunity to be among family, to lift up your name and to have the opportunity to open up your word this morning. God, I invite you to be the editor of this message that you would take away and you would add to. But Lord, I pray that if there is someone here this morning that needs to hear a little bit different message because of situations and circumstances they've been through. Oh Holy Spirit, would you fine tune my words as they enter their ear and penetrate their heart?

Lord, have your way in this place just like it was heaven. And thank you, Lord.

Thank you for letting this sinner that you've saved have the opportunity to share your word this morning in this capacity. And I ask all of this in Jesus name, Amen in First Thessalonians, chapter two. I'm going to be reading out of the NIV translation and I want to begin reading in verse one there. And we'll roll down through verse 12. I might stop and hover a few places.

We'll see what happens. But let's begin as again. This is our springboard text for where I want to go this morning. Paul says this. You know, brothers, that our visit to you was not a failure.

We had previously suffered and been insulted in Philippi, as you know. But with the help of our God, we dared to tell you his gospel in spite of strong opposition. For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you. On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the Gospel. We are not trying to please men, but God who trusts our hearts.

I want to stop and hover for a moment. Friends, did you catch that? Did you catch. Let me back that train up and look at that verse again. We're not trying to please men, but God who tests our hearts.

I'm going to tell you right now, friends, there are going to be people who don't like you. This is all free because they like you. Okay? There are going to be people not going to like you. There are going to be people that don't want to hear anything or deal with you.

The bottom line is as long as God's happy with you. Are you hearing me? Is this thing on? Let's continue on verse five. You know, we never used flattery, nor did we put on.

Put on a mask to cover up greed. God is our witness. We are not looking for praise from men, not from you or anyone else. As apostles of Christ, we could have been a burden to you, But we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God, but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.

Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship. We worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you. You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believe. For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God who calls you into his kingdom and glory.

And the church said, amen. Now, I'm going to tell you right now, there is a lot within those 12 verses, and we're not going to preach it all. We'd be here for a while. But I want to use as our springboard text for where I want to go this morning, because there's some things that I want to pull out of this. You know, talking with Matt about what he was preaching on with, you know, out of Luke and everything and just things that were going through my mind and thinking about this whole idea of developing friendships and discovering stories, this whole idea of how that can be brought into the one, you know, reaching the one being that one that reaches that one.

All that different stuff. Well, there's a few things I want to look at. Point one is this life is found in relationship, not in information. Did they put it there? Woo.

There we go. Listen, I'm not a High tech. I'm a redneck, but I'm not a high tech redneck. So bear with me on this. This is all new for me, putting stuff up.

But life is found in relationship, not in information. I absolutely love First John 5, verse 11. And I think it's up here. It is. Look at this.

It says this. It says God has given us. Who's he given us? Eternal life. And this life is in His Son.

Amen. Oh my goodness. Listen, friends, because of this we need to understand that life is failed in a relationship. Jesus did not call you and I to a religion.

The Christian life is not about a bunch of do's and don'ts what God has called you and I to. He's called us to a relationship with his son. And because he's called us to a relationship with his son, he wants us to share that with people. He wants us. He wants us.

Are you hearing me? He wants us to be willing to build those relationships with other people to make sure that people realize that it's all about finding that relationship. It's not about a bunch of information. I mean, think about this. Jesus went to the cross for you and I so we could have eternal life with him.

And he died for the world. And that's the world that we live in. And where you work is your world and where you go to school is your world and your neighborhood is your world and your household is your world. I'm going to tell you, I hate to say it, going to Walmart can be your world.

By the way, 20 items or less means 20 items or less doesn't mean have a cart full and another cart full and another cart full. But you know, you think about this, this whole idea of this building these relationships. You know the old saying, don't you? The old saying that says people don't care how much we know until they know how much we care. Listen, I want to tell you something.

Your neighbors, your co workers, your classmates, your family, your friends, the people that you come in contact with every single, single day, they are not a project.

They are a piece of undiscovered grace that is yearning to be connected to the body of Christ.

And because God woke you and I up today, there are people that will cross our path. Path today that he wants us to speak words of life into. That he wants us to ask some things, to talk to, to pray for. Which brings me to point number two. Spiritually nurturing relationships are built on trust.

Well, that's a big word, isn't it? In our day and Age, trust. I got a friend of mine who's ex military. His take on life is assume nothing and trust no one.

To me, that's a sad way to live life. And yes, I've been burned, I have been burned multiple times of trusting people that ended up just blowing up in my face. And me and the Lord had a conversation a long time ago and I said, lord, if you don't want me to trust anybody, you don't want me. I need to get out of this line of work. I need to go do something different.

Because part of what I am and part of what I do and how God's wired me is I want to be able to give people the benefit of the doubt. I want to be able to build a relationship there. Paul says this back in First Thessalonians. Just kind of highlights here, verses seven and eight. Paul says this.

He says, we were gentle among you, sharing not only the gospel of God, but our own lives. I'm gonna tell you something, friends, there's where the problem lies. We don't want to share our lives with anybody. We don't want to get too close to people. We don't want to let too many people in.

We don't want people really to know about the things that we deal with and the struggles that we have and the garbage that goes on. But do you realize, friends, that when we are nurturing those relationships and realize that they're built on trust, you and I have got to get in the weeds. We got to get in the ditch. Are you hearing me? We got to get down in the muck, in the mire.

We got to get down in the garbage sometimes with people, because that's where some people are and no one else is willing to get in there. Can I just give you a little shot in the arm of something free because I like you. Compassion is not optional.

We need to be the kind of people that people feel safe telling us their story. I cannot stress enough the power of presence. Listen, I love these things right here. I love these cell phones. I love technology.

I have a smartphone, but a dumb operator. And I love all this. And it's wonderful. But I'm going to tell you right now, this thing right here has destroyed a lot of people. And this thing right here, I'm going to tell you right now, you know, it amazes me to go to a restaurant now.

I'm going to tell you right now. I do this some myself. So I'm not. I'm there. I'm pointing the finger at me, but I'm going to tell you right now, when you're having a conversation with somebody, put that thing away.

Hello, this thing on, Can I get a witness on that? I mean, oh, my goodness. And I cannot stress to you the power of presence.

I wish we had times friends for me to share. I could share story after story of story of being with people who've lost absolutely everything from a hurricane or a tornado or a wildfire or a flood or just being there where everything is gone.

The widower had lost his wife two weeks before the tornado and everything that was left, he was trying to go through dealing with all of that and everything that was on the kitchen table when the tornado came through and wiped the entire neighborhood out. I mean, he lost his wife two weeks before and now everything of memories is gone too. You can't go to Walmart.

And buy new photos.

Or that diary where your wife wrote all the things about you and what you'd done as a couple.

The people that you. That I've stood with that just constantly say, well, why? Why, why?

Sometimes you have time to build a relationship in a long period, and that's the way it really usually works. Sometimes it's short periods. But I cannot stress to you enough about the power of presence in light of building. In light of building that trust. Third point is this.

Jesus met people. Jesus met people where they were and used their stories.

I mean, think about this. Here's just a little bit of a snapshot. This. We're not gonna read any script, but I'm gonna reference just a few stories. I just.

Oh, man. I'll try my best not to get too happy, but some of these stories, some of these. John 4, where Jesus asks for water before he offers living water. John 5, where he asked the guy who's trying to get in the pool, well, do you wanna. Do you wanna be made?

Well, Luke 5, where he's eaten with Levi before he calls him to follow. Oh, Luke 10, Jesus shares a story of a neighbor. Instead of a lecture about theology, Jesus met people where they were and he used their stories. You know, listen, friends, I'm not taking away from preachers and sermons and things, but I kind of let you in on a little secret.

Stories build bridges where sermons sometimes can't go. Are you hearing me? Sometimes. Sometimes stories build bridges where sermons can't go. Which brings me to the fourth point, and that's this.

Ask good questions and look for the why. Ask good questions and look for the why. Philippians 2. 4 says this. Paul says, look not only to Your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Think about this for a minute. People often like to talk about themselves, don't they? If we give them permission.

And chances are, if you're one of those people that you're thinking right now, well, the people I'm around, they never want to talk. Maybe you're talking too much and you need to do a holy. Shut up.

But if you think about this, I mean. I mean, and then if you think, really think about this whole idea of asking good questions, by the way, when you ask questions, when they're telling their story. And I've had people ask me, well, how do you start that? Well, that's just simple. Just say, tell me your story.

I love coffee. If you'd have been in here during soundcheck. I sung my coffee song that I wrote for our volunteer groups. I'm not gonna sing it now because we don't have enough time stay for second service. I might.

But anyway, you know, last time I was here, I was gonna sing my McDonald's song over the number seven, but they changed the number seven. I can no longer sing my song. It's no longer two cheeseburgers. I don't even know what it is, but don't get me started. But I still love McDonald's.

Hallelujah. Hallelujah. But ask good questions. But look for the why. And here's the thing.

Yes, we are to share the gospel. We need to share the gospel. But listen to me, friends. Behind every story is a why.

Why they're angry, why are they skeptical, why are they hurting, why they feel forgotten. That when we allow someone to tell their story and for us to listen and ask the right questions, you realize that what happens when we do this is when people share their story, it often reveals, often reveals where their doubts are, Where their questions are, where their wounds are, where their needs live.

And when we listen well, we earn the right to speak truth into them. And speak it, as Paul says, gently.

Now listen, all you older folks. Listen to me. There was a time where you could go door to door calling and tell somebody point blank, you're going to hell if you don't got Jesus right. Talk to me. Yeah, well, that ain't today.

Cause we got to. And I don't mean disrespectful. Just listen to me. Hear me out. Today, everybody gets offended and their feelings hurt over the silliest things.

And so you can't really be point blank. You've got to come where they are. You've got to be right Listen, I've been in disaster areas where I've been cussed out by the homeowners when they found out not only that I was a Christian, but I was a preacher.

And that's another story for another day. But I was okay with that because they were. In fact, I told one guy, I said, get it out. In fact, if you feel like you need to cuss God out, do it. Cause he can take it.

And there's more to that story. Maybe second service, I might throw the rest out, but because of time. Woo wee. We're rolling. We're rolling.

But I just cannot stress enough the power of presence and listening. Well, which brings me to the fifth point. The final point is this meeting needs opens the doors for the gospel.

When I was doing campus ministry at Vincent's University, you know, I'd always tell our students, when dealing with roommates and classmates and things like that and talking about sharing the gospel and things, they would always say, but I don't know, how do I start? I said, listen, the bottom line is, is you need to look for a way to meet a need in their life. I can't stress that enough. Meet a need in their life. When you meet a need in their life, God sets the opportunity up for you to plant a seed of his love and grace.

He just does. Meet a need, plant a seed. For years, I thought I should probably trademark that. Somebody may steal it, you know. But I said, that'd be a cool shirt.

Meet a need, plant a seed. That's what it's all about. Because God brings the saving. Amen. Because I'm gonna tell you right now, if the saving was up to us, some of us wouldn't be saved because someone else would say, mnh, mnh, not that person.

Uh, we're not letting them get saved. Uh, I'm glad God's the one that brings the saving and not us. We are the ones to plant those seeds. But when you think about the whole idea of meeting the needs will open the doors for the gospel. I mean, I can't stress this enough.

Jesus consistently met practical needs before addressing the spiritual ones.

I can't encourage you enough and challenge you enough to read the Gospels and get a take on how Jesus. How Jesus lived life and how he's called us. Think about that for a minute.

Everything Jesus did was not accidental. It was intentional. People ask me all the time about, you know, our organization of just helped one, you know, okay, what's your mindset? What's the mindset? And there's, you know, People say, what do you do?

And I go, the cliff note. We bring hope to the chaos. That's what we do. We're hope dealers is what we are. We call our volunteers hope Dealers.

We're dealing out hope left and right to people. And this past summer, we're still in Texas, working from the. We were there the day. The day after the flood in July in Texas, and we're still there rebuilding and stuff and loving on families and things. And I shared with our supporting church down there.

I said, listen, friends, I said, hope doesn't deny the storm. Hope declares to the storm it won't win. And because of that, we bring hope to the chaos. But can I tell you something, friends? You don't have to go to a disaster area to encounter somebody's storm.

Hear that?

We're meeting people every day. That's dealing with a storm. Could be a physical storm, spiritual, mental.

But what we need to realize is if it really boiled down to what's the mindset of. Of our organization, what we do. Well, I tell people all the time, you know, whatever project we're doing, it's just the conduit that we're using to let the love and grace of Jesus flow through. What it comes down to is we're not just fixing structures, we're building relationships with people. See, here's the thing.

That was July of 25, when the flood. And there are people that right now are just now starting to open up to us because they trust us. Because. Because guess what? We're the only outside organization still there.

So what will you do with that today? What will you do with this mindset? What will you do with what we talked about, of trying to build these friendships, nurture these relationships, discover these stories. Listen, friends, every person that you and I come in contact with has a story, has a situation, and guess what? They needs Jesus.

And because God woke you and I up today, that means that he's going to set something up today for us. A conversation, an opportunity to pray with somebody, something. He will do that because he gave you and I today, the day that you and I stop sucking wind, will be the day that God's done using us on this side of the grave. And then we'll go home, our eternal home. And guess what?

That will be better.

Wow. I got 4 minutes and 24 seconds left.

We're going to pray. I don't know if you know Jesus or not. I hope that. I hope you do. But if you don't talk to somebody here because they want to share the gospel with you.

You can I tell you something? Are you hurting? Are you dealing with things that nobody else knows?

We all don't have it figured out. So if you're struggling with things, don't think everybody else has got it figured out because all they do know is Jesus is here to help and he can change us. And by the way, if you're not a Christian and you got those things in your life that you're thinking, I got to get those things taken care of and then I'll come to Jesus. Let me ask you this last question. Do you take a shower before you take a bath?

Because God did not call us to get cleaned up first before we come to him to let him clean us up. He says, you come to me with all your baggage and all your garbage and all your stuff and let me clean you. Let's pray. God thank you oh Lord, I pray your words not falling upon deaf ears this morning. God, I thank you for.

I thank you Lord for allowing me the opportunity to share your word this morning.

I thank you for safe in me. I thank you for loving me in spite of my screw ups, my hang ups and my garbage. Thank you Lord. I pray Holy Spirit, would you do some ministering right now to those in this place that may not know you, to those who do know you but they've been struggling. I pray for peace and comfort in Jesus name God, I pray for, for some churning of hearts for those who need to come to know you and I pray your blessing on this church Lord.

Use this church as a light in a dark world. Thank you for your love. Thank you for your grace. Thank you for your mercy.

Thank you Lord for loving us and I ask it in Jesus name. Amen.

Just looking through my notes from the message and we always like to end our worship experiences by challenging you and taking a next step. I don't know what your practical next step is personally. Here are some things that I wrote down or typed in to be more present, to be willing to be present with people, the people nearest to me and the people who I'm trying to build relationships with that I hope will one day come to know Jesus like I do. Maybe it's to listen better and to ask questions as you meet people and you discover their stories. And maybe it's to take a page out of Paul's book and to share your very life with someone to build that trust.

We have a team that's available at the front of the room every week that we call our next Steps team and I invite them to go ahead and start making their way to the front of the room. They're going to be up here to visit with you, to talk with you, to pray with you. That's one next step you could take. Another next step would be to be a part of one of our Next Steps classes. Each month we offer the same Next Steps classes the first three weeks of the month.

This week happens to be our Next Steps Follow Jesus class. It's a great introduction to learn more about what it means to follow Jesus and what Jesus has done for you. It meets right after this worship experience at 11am in room 502A and D. We'd love for you to come and to be a part of that. Another next step that you might want to take is just to connect with us. You can text the word next to the number that you see on the screen.

I'm not as smart as Matt Gabler, our senior minister, when it comes to numbers, so I don't tell you the number because I always mess it up. So you can just look at the screen and find the number you can reach out for. Prayer is another next step. You can go to greenwoodchristian.com prayer. You can scan the QR code and let us know we can pray for you.

And our staff takes time each week to pray over all the requests that come in. We want to help you find your next step. So as we end, if you'd like to meet with someone on our team, come forward. But beyond that, here's what I would encourage you with. Remember that you're loved, go in peace, and go be present with the people around you in hopes of building bridges with them and discovering their stories.

Have a great day.