Inviting the Lost: A Call to Action
Summary
In the past weeks, we've been exploring the theme of "God First Families," but today, we shift our focus to a "God First Love for the Lost." This is a call to action, a reminder of our mission as a church to reach out to those who do not know Jesus. From the inception of Canvas Church, our purpose has been clear: we are not just a church that gathers; we are a church on a mission. With 73% of our community not knowing Christ, we cannot be complacent. Easter presents a unique opportunity as people are more open to attending church, whether out of tradition, family obligation, or a genuine search for hope. This is our chance to extend a personal invitation, which can be incredibly powerful in leading someone to experience the hope of Christ.
Reflecting on John 4, where Jesus meets the Samaritan woman at the well, we see a model for how we can engage with those who are lost. Jesus' journey through Samaria was not a geographical necessity but a spiritual one, driven by compassion for a woman in need. This story teaches us to see people as Jesus did, to act on what we see, and to use the church as a tool for inviting others to experience Christ. We are called to be proactive, to step out of our comfort zones, and to invite those around us to "come and see" what Jesus offers.
The power of a personal invitation cannot be underestimated. Statistics show that 72% of people are more likely to attend church during Easter if invited. This is a divine opportunity to be the reason someone finds hope and transformation in Christ. We must ask the Holy Spirit to help us see, act, and believe as Jesus did, ensuring that our actions align with our faith. Our mission is not to make Canvas Church bigger but to make heaven bigger by bringing more souls to Christ. Let us not become complacent in our salvation but remain vigilant and compassionate, reaching out to those still in need of the saving grace of Jesus.
Key Takeaways:
1. A God-First Love for the Lost: Our mission is to reach out to those who do not know Jesus, especially during times like Easter when people are more open to attending church. This is a divine opportunity to extend a personal invitation and be the reason someone finds hope in Christ. [00:35]
2. Seeing Through Jesus' Eyes: Jesus' journey through Samaria was driven by compassion for a woman in need. We must ask the Holy Spirit to help us see people as Jesus did, recognizing their brokenness and need for hope. This perspective compels us to act and reach out to those around us. [12:46]
3. The Power of Personal Invitation: A personal invitation to church can be incredibly powerful. Statistics show that 72% of people are more likely to attend church during Easter if invited. This is our chance to make an eternal difference in someone's life. [23:15]
4. Using What Jesus Built: The church is a tool for inviting others to experience Christ. We may not have all the answers, but we can invite people to a place where they can encounter the gospel and the love of God's people. Our role is to extend the invitation and let God do the rest. [35:20]
5. Believing in Transformation: When people come to church, they may initially be drawn by our invitation, but they leave transformed by encountering Jesus. We must believe in the power of the gospel to change lives and trust that God will work through our efforts to bring people to Him. [39:12]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:35] - God First Love for the Lost
- [03:45] - The Mission of Canvas Church
- [07:20] - Easter: A Unique Opportunity
- [12:46] - Seeing Through Jesus' Eyes
- [16:30] - The Samaritan Woman's Story
- [20:15] - The Power of Personal Invitation
- [23:15] - Engaging with the Unchurched
- [27:50] - Using What Jesus Built
- [31:10] - The Role of the Church
- [35:20] - Believing in Transformation
- [39:12] - The Tragedy of the Titanic
- [42:00] - Call to Action: Reaching the Lost
- [45:30] - Closing Prayer
Study Guide
Bible Reading:
1. John 4:3-7 (NIV) - "So he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee. Now he had to go through Samaria. So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon. When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, 'Will you give me a drink?'"
2. Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV) - "The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing."
Observation Questions:
1. What was significant about Jesus choosing to travel through Samaria, and how does this reflect His mission? [12:46]
2. How did the Samaritan woman's encounter with Jesus at the well change her perspective and actions? [35:20]
3. According to the sermon, why is a personal invitation to church particularly powerful during Easter? [23:15]
4. What does the pastor mean when he says, "We are not just going to be a church that has church; we are here on mission"? [03:45]
Interpretation Questions:
1. Why might Jesus have felt compelled to go through Samaria, despite there being other routes available? What does this suggest about His priorities? [12:46]
2. How does the story of the Samaritan woman illustrate the concept of seeing people through Jesus' eyes? What does this mean for us today? [16:30]
3. In what ways does the sermon suggest that the church can be used as a tool for inviting others to experience Christ? [35:20]
4. How does the pastor's story about the Titanic relate to the church's mission to reach the lost? What lesson can be drawn from this analogy? [39:12]
Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your own life: Who in your circle might be open to an invitation to church this Easter? How can you approach them with a personal invitation? [23:15]
2. Consider the people you encounter daily. How can you begin to see them through Jesus' eyes, recognizing their needs and brokenness? What practical steps can you take to act on this perspective? [12:46]
3. The sermon emphasizes the power of a personal invitation. Can you recall a time when a personal invitation made a significant impact on your life? How can you replicate that impact for someone else? [23:15]
4. The pastor challenges us to use what Jesus built—the church—as a tool for outreach. What resources or opportunities does your church offer that you can leverage to invite others to experience Christ? [35:20]
5. The sermon mentions the importance of believing in the transformation that Jesus can bring. How can you strengthen your faith in the power of the gospel to change lives? [39:12]
6. Reflect on the analogy of the Titanic. Are there areas in your life where you have become complacent in your own salvation? How can you reignite your passion for reaching the lost? [39:12]
7. Identify one person in your life who might be searching for hope. What specific action can you take this week to engage them in a conversation about faith or invite them to church? [23:15]
Devotional
Day 1: Embracing the Mission to Reach the Lost
Our mission as believers is to reach out to those who do not know Jesus, especially during times like Easter when people are more open to attending church. This is a divine opportunity to extend a personal invitation and be the reason someone finds hope in Christ. With 73% of the community not knowing Christ, the call to action is urgent. The church is not just a gathering place but a mission field where each member plays a crucial role in expanding the kingdom of God. By inviting others, we can be the catalyst for someone’s journey towards faith and transformation. [00:35]
Luke 14:23 (ESV): "And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled.’"
Reflection: Who in your life is searching for hope or community? How can you extend a personal invitation to them this week?
Day 2: Seeing People Through Jesus' Compassionate Eyes
Jesus' journey through Samaria, as described in John 4, was driven by compassion for a woman in need. This story teaches us to see people as Jesus did, recognizing their brokenness and need for hope. By asking the Holy Spirit to help us see through Jesus' eyes, we can be moved to act and reach out to those around us. This perspective compels us to step out of our comfort zones and engage with those who are lost, offering them the love and hope found in Christ. [12:46]
Matthew 9:36 (ESV): "When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd."
Reflection: Who in your life do you need to see with more compassion? How can you act on this compassion today?
Day 3: The Transformative Power of Personal Invitation
A personal invitation to church can be incredibly powerful. Statistics show that 72% of people are more likely to attend church during Easter if invited. This is our chance to make an eternal difference in someone's life. By inviting someone to church, we open the door for them to experience the hope and transformation that comes from encountering Jesus. Our role is to extend the invitation and trust that God will work through our efforts to bring people to Him. [23:15]
Romans 10:14 (ESV): "How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?"
Reflection: Who can you invite to church this Easter? What steps can you take to make this invitation personal and meaningful?
Day 4: Utilizing the Church as a Tool for Invitation
The church is a tool for inviting others to experience Christ. We may not have all the answers, but we can invite people to a place where they can encounter the gospel and the love of God's people. Our mission is not to make the church bigger but to make heaven bigger by bringing more souls to Christ. By using what Jesus built, we can create an environment where people feel welcomed and loved, leading them to a transformative encounter with God. [35:20]
1 Corinthians 3:9 (ESV): "For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building."
Reflection: How can you use your church community to help someone experience the love of Christ? What role can you play in making your church a welcoming place for newcomers?
Day 5: Believing in the Power of Transformation
When people come to church, they may initially be drawn by our invitation, but they leave transformed by encountering Jesus. We must believe in the power of the gospel to change lives and trust that God will work through our efforts to bring people to Him. Our faith in the transformative power of Christ compels us to remain vigilant and compassionate, reaching out to those still in need of the saving grace of Jesus. [39:12]
2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV): "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."
Reflection: In what ways have you witnessed transformation in your own life or the lives of others through Christ? How can this encourage you to share your faith with others?
Quotes
"in the last four or five weeks we've been in god first families and we're going to take a little shift today so let's jump right into it deuteronomy chapter 6 is our key verse for the series hero israel the lord our god the lord is one you shall love the lord your god with all of your heart and all of your soul and with all of your strength for five months we have been exploring and are going to explore this idea of god first in our life where we are searching the scriptures to discover what it means to truly put god first in every single area of our life and what we have learned and and settled is that there is no power in the partially surrendered life and today as we make our ramp towards easter i want us to stop for a moment and talk about what it means to have a god first love for the lost a god first love for the lost from the very beginning and the very first meeting of canvas church over 16 years ago in that living room across the street with those 18 people i said to them the first time we met it wasn't even a service it was an idea to get together about what it was to come and i said we are not just going to have church we are not just going to be a church that has church we are here on mission we are here on purpose with a purpose and for a purpose 73 of our community does not know jesus christ and i'm not okay with that i'm not okay with that and i want you to not be okay with that and my heart is still ablaze for that desire and burden today as it has ever been 16 years ago and i want us to never lose our zeal and our heart for the lost and these next two weeks presents us with an amazing and a unique opportunity on april 19th and 20th it is easter weekend and i want you to hear this and settle this in your heart if you haven't thought about it people who never think about church all year long are thinking about church right now people who normally would never contemplate going to church" [00:09:59] (119 seconds)
"on a normal calendar day, are thinking about going to church right now. And there's a couple of reasons why. Some people are going to go to just get their mothers off their back for another eight months until Christmas, right? And just going to do the right thing by their mom or by their dad or by their family, and that's okay. Some people are going to go because to them it represents what they would consider to be regular church attendance. They go every Christmas and they go every Easter. And to them it's just the time to engage in their annual religious ritual. There will be many people that will come because they are truly broken. And they truly do know that something is missing in their life. And they're desperate to find out if there is anything here that can offer hope or change the situation of their marriage or their life or their family. But what I want you to know is that regardless of what is prompting them, there will never be a time all year long where people will be more open to an invitation to church than they are right now. And God wants to use you and me to make an eternal difference in their lives. We have the potential. I mean, I'm serious now. We have the potential, if you think about it, to be the reason that someone experiences the hope of Christ, that someone passes from death to life, that someone's eternal life is forever changed, and their temporal life is forever changed. And we can never underestimate the power of a personal invitation. It is so incredibly powerful. I remember a couple years ago, because I've preached about this so passionately for 16 years, really for longer than that, but Canvas Church was the moment in my life where God burdened me on a different level to win people to Jesus, where God convicted me on a different level to win people to Jesus. And so I am fired up and passionate about it. I remember I would preach about it all the time when we get to this time of the year, and a guy caught me in the lobby, and he said, You know, Pastor, I hear your heart, and it's inspiring, and I thank God for it, but don't you really think that if people want to come, that they're going to come, whether or not we invite them or not? And I said, what?" [00:11:58] (129 seconds)
"ponder a question over these next two weeks who do i have in my life right now that needs to know the hope that only christ can give you know someone in fact you know more than one someone you know multiple people so do i and if you just got an image or a name in your head right now the holy spirit has just given you an assignment for these next two weeks okay and so today i just want us to walk through a very interesting story in the new testament that's recorded in the gospel of john actually in chapter four now i've taught these scriptures i don't know hundreds of times i would assume over the last 31 years but they still represent to me a beautiful example of this invitation to hope that i pray that we would catch today as a church and a fellowship now i say these scriptures are unique because when you read the gospels matthew mark luke and john there are only three of those four that are what is known as synoptic gospels what that means is three out of the four essentially tell the same stories as the other ones with just a little bit of nuance or distinction or difference john's gospel is not considered one of the synoptic gospels because his book tells stories that the other three books does not record including the one that we are going to look at today and it provides us with four things to do as we prepare to invite others and introduce as many people as we can to jesus this easter let me give you a little background and context and then we'll jump down john chapter four verses three through seven if you got your bibles if not we'll put it up for you jesus is well into his public ministry he's already been to the river jordan john has already baptized him it has already been declared by john this is the lamb of god that takes away the sins of the world jesus has already hand selected his 12 disciples and they are going from town to town on revivals and expeditions and adventures preaching teaching and healing people everywhere they go and when we get to john chapter four verse three" [00:18:21] (126 seconds)
"they have been on one of their expeditions and they are returning home and that's where we see this event unfold here we go john chapter 4. so jesus left judea and returned to galilee he had to go through samaria please make note of this he had to go through samaria on the way eventually he came to the samaritan village of sychar jacob's well was there and jesus tired from the long walk sat beside the well about noontime soon a samaritan woman came to draw water and jesus said to her would you please give me a drink now what i want to do is i want to walk through john chapter 4 over the next few minutes and and i want to show you four things that i am praying for and asking for us to ask the holy spirit to do in every one of our lives over these next two weeks so that we can be used to truly make a difference for people this easter four things i'm asking for us to ask the holy spirit to do and i'm going to show it to you out of john's gospel number one i want us to ask the holy spirit to help us see what jesus saw let me go back to the text the bible says he had to go through samaria now why is that significant and why am i making a big deal out of it because logistically he didn't actually have to go through samaria geographically he didn't really have to go through samaria it's a small subtle thing but it's speaking of something big that needs to be paid close attention to he was leaving judea heading back to galilee and if you were looking at a map of this region you will actually discover there are three different routes that he could have taken that were frequently used and safe to travel so it's important to note that when the scripture says he had to go through samaria it is not giving us the indication of a geographical point it is not making a logistical point the bible is making a spiritual point in other words it is indicating to us that something was compelling jesus something was driving jesus something was pushing jesus to have to go through you" [00:20:21] (128 seconds)
"Samaria he knew that there would be a rejected hopeless woman at that well at noon and it was his compassion it was his sympathy it was his empathy it was his broken heart for her broken condition that drove him to be at that well at noontime and there were two things about it that made it a unique interaction number one she was a Samaritan number two she was a woman now if you've heard this preached or you know anything about the Bible in this particular time there was this a massive racial riff that existed between ordinary Jews Orthodox Jews and Samaritans now Samaritans were Jewish people but they had came out of Babylonian captivity with wives other than their race and for Orthodox Jews that was frowned upon and they considered them to be compromisers to the Covenant and so there existed between them this incredible incredible bitter racial riff so she was a Samaritan and Jews didn't talk to Samaritans and and number two she was a woman and women in the ancient Middle East obviously very much like today are not really viewed as people as much as they are viewed as property in fact it was Jesus that was really the first one that began to elevate the view of women and teach that they were to be honored by their husbands and cherished by their husbands and respected by their husbands and so she was a Samaritan she was a woman which made this interaction unique now please notice the time that she came as well she didn't come at eight in the morning or six in the afternoon she came at noontime and this was not standard operating procedure I have been to the Middle East I've been to Amman Jordan I spent 10 days in Israel if you go the right time of the year one of the reasons why women would always go in the morning and late in the evening is because that desert heat will melt your face off it is incredibly intense and so they would not want to drag their their water jars through the incredible heat at noontime but she did and she did it on purpose hoping that no one would be there she did it hoping that she wouldn't bump into anyone and that she you" [00:22:29] (126 seconds)
"stuff came on my radar that had never been on my radar before and all of a sudden things that didn't mean anything to me begin to actually matter to me why because she mattered to me and if it mattered to her and i loved her that much it mattered to me you cannot have a living loving growing relationship with someone that you are intimate with and not care about what they care about you cannot have a growing relationship with jesus and think everything is cool but not love the lost what breaks his heart will break your heart what moves his heart will move your heart and jesus is moved by the lost and if they matter to jesus dude they have to matter to us we have to we have to pray and and ask the holy spirit to help us see what jesus saw jesus saw broken people that without him had no hope and it's what compelled him to go through samaria that's why it's spiritually impossible again to have a growing relationship with jesus and not care about lost people bro i'm telling you i double dog dare you to pray god i want you to break my heart for what breaks yours and then hold on you won't be able to live a normal life again you won't be able to walk past people like you used to you won't be able to see people the same way it will wreck you and rock you in the best of ways it is the will of god that we see the world through the compassionate lenses of jesus christ so when we pray let's pray as a church fellowship lord would you allow the holy spirit to help us see what jesus saw number two let's ask the holy spirit to help us then do what jesus did bible says he detoured himself he went out of his way he made it a priority to go through samaria and to help this woman find and experience hope what i'm saying is he didn't just see something that needed to be done and didn't do didn't didn't do anything he didn't just see a need and ignore it he took action he got involved he made a move in this woman's direction and my prayer is that we would not just sit here today" [00:26:51] (128 seconds)
"hear my heart and i love you that we would just sit here today and go through services and sermons and that when i say something you agree with you would amen and you would feel giddy and goosebumps about it and then we leave and nobody would be changed and nobody would be inspired and nobody would make a move dude the gospel is not about our information it is about our action and our intention it should it's wonderful when it moves your heart but it don't mean anything if it don't move our feet and our hands it's got to actually translate into what we do and how we live our lives for the lord church can't just be about feeling good for an hour on sunday it's got to move us to actually make a difference and jesus did man he got involved man he he went out of his way and i pray that we would pay attention from this day forward to the people who's around us that we would be so sensitive to the holy spirit that when we're standing in the line at publix and the holy spirit says that one that we would not just be able to go uh you know whatever have you ever thought about this i've thought so much about this why is it like this isn't it interesting that we can we find it easy to strike up conversations with strangers about all kinds of stuff that don't make any difference at all we don't find it difficult to talk about the weather with a stranger we don't find it difficult to talk about the news with a stranger we don't find it difficult to talk about some current event with a stranger but as soon as you feel the the conviction to invite them to church or to talk to them about god there's this thing this trepidation that rises in our hearts why is that because the enemy knows it matters and he's hoping that we never will he knows that it makes an eternal difference and that the other things don't and he's hoping that we'll just ignore it and suppress it and not do anything with it when there's eternities hanging in the balance but we can talk to everybody about everything but listen this this this matters more than we know and we can be the reason we can be the reason we can be the reason that someone finds hope in new life this year and they will forever thank you" [00:28:31] (127 seconds)
"Come and, loud, come on. Come and see. A man who told me everything I ever did, could he really be the Messiah? These three words. Come and see. These are all you need to know to be a part of someone's miracle this Easter." [00:31:15] (19 seconds)
"Jesus once said in Matthew's Gospel, Upon this rock I will build my church. The gates of hell will not prevail against it. Canvas Church is a part of that construction. God has called us as pastors and staff in his church to work, to study, to prepare, to strategize, to plan, to coordinate things in order to every week make the most powerful presentation about the truth of Jesus Christ that we possibly can. Now here's the deal. You may not know all of the scriptures, right? You may not memorize the scripture. Maybe you're new to faith and you feel kind of underqualified. You're like, dude, I'm not really biblically literate enough to be able to answer people's questions. You don't have to. You don't have to do that. We are working diligently as a staff in a church to make sure that when they get here, they hear the gospel. They are in a room where the Holy Spirit is moving. They feel the love of God's people. All you have to do is use what Jesus built. He built his church to prepare a place and to prepare a people to encourage and help people far from him come home. So what I'm saying to you is we will do our part. I will prepare the best messages I can and I will be led by the Holy Spirit as much as I can. And we will prepare as a band and a worship group. We will prepare as volunteers. But here's what we can't do. We don't work in your office building. You do." [00:31:34] (83 seconds)
"We don't sit around the table with your family. You do. We don't know your uncle. We don't know your niece. We don't know your cousin. We don't know all the people that you are connected with. We don't know all the relationships that you have in your life. That is uniquely expressly God's will for you. That's God's mission." [00:32:56] (18 seconds)
"Not just because of what you told us, but because we have heard him for ourselves. We have experienced him for ourselves. Now we know that he is indeed the Savior of the world. Watch it. They came and saw initially because of her invitation, but they left, changed, and transformed because of his Messiahship and his Christhood." [00:35:20] (25 seconds)
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