Pastor Elwin Ahu
July 28, 2002 - W0230

Imagination is a wonderful gift when used correctlyóto dream of ways to make Godís purposes and plan become reality. Imagination fosters change. It challenges us to go beyond.

In 1961, in response to the Russians launching the first man to orbit the earth, President John Kennedy stood before a captive audience and made a bold, almost unbelievable statement: ìWe choose to go to the moon in this decade! Not because itís easy, but because itís hard.î That stunned the nation. But then it captured and challenged their imagination.

It caused this country to focus on a mission greater than itself. And who will ever forget the words of the American astronauts as they landed on the moon and declared, ìHouston, the eagle has landed.î That reality would never have launched if it werenít for one personís imagination.

Our Own ìMoon Launchî

The church today is facing a formidable task of its own, a ìmoon launchî so to speak, because the church and the world almost exist in two separate spheres. A popular belief is that the church is inconsequential and irrelevant. It has no real impact on the world.

In fact, thereís almost no difference between Christians and the world. According to renowned researcher George Barna, divorce rates between the two are equal, donations to nonprofitable organizations are comparable, and many Christians even agree that cohabitation is okay. Barna summarized it this way: ìIn aspects of lifestyleówhere Christians can have their greatest impact on the lives of non-Christiansóthere was no visible difference.î

Even more troubling was his finding that only 1 of 3 pastors believes their church can make a positive difference in their community. Thatís shocking! Yet God calls us to make a difference in a world that desperately needs a difference:

ìYou are the salt of the earthÖYou are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hiddenÖLet your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.î (Mt. 5:13-14,16).

Called & Commissioned

The church exists to bring truth and stability to a postmodern, skeptical society. The church exists to be implementers of Godís love to unmet human needs. The church was created to manifest His self-less vision in a self-ish and self-obsessed world. And the church exists to live out Godís truth in the midst of a world of compromise. Weíve been called and commissioned to make a difference!

We must launch a mission to reach the world! How do we become influential and relevant to our world? Letís hit three key points in doing just that. It begins with us first doing this:

ìImagine A ChurchÖî

1.     That is willing to demonstrate as well as proclaim its faith.

We canít go around just talking about our faith, we must also walk out our faith. We have to demonstrate it. We live in a postmodern world where nothing is certain; truth is relative to current circumstances. For instance, thereís a guy suing the fast food chains for his own obesity and related health problems. Can you believe that? Thatís only possible in a world where truth is relativeówhatever you think is your own truth.

And that has filtered through the walls of the churchówhere weíve not made our presence or Godís truth known. The world doesnít know who we are anymore! They donít what weíre doing, what we believe in or what we stand for!

Reality TV vs. Church

If the media gives us any indication of what the world wants, if art mimics reality, then what itís telling us is that people want ìreality.î Reality showsólike ìSurvivor,î ìFear Factor,î and even ìMeet the Parentsîóare captivating the world today. The eye has become the decisive organópeople are making decisions based on what they see. Their definition of ìthe truth,î is a reality that they can see.

But the only ìrealî thing the world sees about the Church today is that weíre producing slicker, more techonologically-brilliant performances of Godís truth. ìButî they ask, ìwhere is the love? Where is Godís love that you talk about? Where are the good works? Whereís the difference?î

While the world is waiting to see proof, the church is consumed with simply talking about it. If the 21^st century church is going to fulfill the Lordís command to be the salt and the light of the world, it must come to grips with the ageless truth that ìfaith without works is deadî! ìBut are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? Ö For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.î (Jas. 2:20,26)

In other words, we need to demonstrate and not just declare that our faith is real. We need to prove through our actions that God so loved the world.

ìYou Know I Love You!î

One morning I came home from a good time of devotions where I met with some guys, went and exercised and I was feeling great. It was a beautiful dayóthe sun was out in a cloudless sky. When I got home I asked my wife if we could pack a picnic and spend the day at the beach. She was dressed in her housecleaning clothes. Thereís a big difference between housecleaning clothes and beach attire, isnít there?

She said, ìNo, Iím ready to clean the house today. Can you vacuum?î I said, ìMaybe Iíll go in to the office after all!î She said, ìGo to work and donít come back.î ìBut honey,î I said, ìyou know I love you!î

She responded, ìElwin Peter,î (my middle name is Peter) ìElwin Peter, do you love me more than these?î ìHoney, you know I do,î I proclaimed. ìIf you love me,î she said, ìthen clean the house.î

In an attempt to win her over verbally, I tried to repeat myself, ìBut, honey, you know I love you!î ìElwin Peter,î she calmly replied, ìdo you love me more than these? Then clean the toilet.î Then I caught it. I can proclaim that I love my wife as much as I want but unless I begin to demonstrate it to her, then it just doesnít mean anything.

So I put on some jazz music, vacuumed the house, and cleaned the bathroom. Then I washed up and made her some shrimp scampi over angel hair pasta. I laid that all out before her and then I said, ìHoney, you know I love you!î

Real LoveóObedience

Now when I say that, I really believe she knows that I love her because of the demonstration of my love for her. The world is looking for the same demonstration of love: ìBecause of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else.î (2 Cor. 9:13 NIV)

The world will glorify God by our obedience. Please donít get me wrong, itís not by works that we are saved. Your salvation is secure in your confession of sin and choosing Jesus as Lord. Thatís salvation. But sometimes we stop short, failing to take the next step of obedience in showing the world how much we love God by extending that love to them. 

Question 1: How were you won to Christ? Was it through persuasive wordsóa teaching tape or a track? Or was it by someoneís actions?

Question 2: How do you know Christís love is real? By His words, His actions, or both?

The first step in impacting our community is by demonstrating our faith. The second step is going beyond that to be a churchÖ

2.     That maximizes its potential.

There is so much potential in our church. If we were to tap into the potential of every single member of this church, we would literally amaze ourselves! We have professionals, contractors, office workers, parents, students, people with community contactsÖ all of these in just one service! At New Hope we have nine services. Can you imagine the untapped potential laying dormant in this church?

We could rock this state! We really could. If we were able to maximize and harness the potential that lays in every single one of us. ìGod has given gifts to each of you from His great variety of spiritual gifts. Manage them well so that Godís generosity can flow through you.î (1 Pt. 4:10)

Just imagine if we were to tap into our spiritual gifts, our ìspiritual DNAî that God hardwired into us, so that it impacted everything in our lives. Thatís exactly what God wants us to do and designed for us to do: ìIt is God himself who has made us what we areÖ ages ago He planned that we should spend these lives in helping others.î (Eph. 2:10 TLB) Your spiritual DNA is to help others. Itís never to be used for yourself, or glorify self. Itís given to you to glorify God and help others. Those gifts are meant to be given away!

This is best illustrated in the Bible at the feeding of the 5,000. Jesus had been preaching all day and it got late. The crowd was tired and it was time to either send them home or feed them. ìAnd ordering the multitudes to recline on the grass, (Jesus) took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up toward heaven, He blessed the food, and breaking the loaves He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave to the multitudesÖî (Mt. 14:19)

What was the potential that needed to be unleashed? It was feeding the people. How was it unleashed? Look closely: They took the food, gave it back to God and asked Him to bless it. When did it begin to multiply? When Jesus prayed over the bread? No. When He broke the bread, gave it back to His disciples and then when they began to give it away. Thatís when the potential was unleashed.

How do you maximize your potential? Not by holding on to what God gave you, but by giving it away. Our job is to maximize our gift by unleashing it. Give it away!

Question 3: Have you ever witnessed someone unleashing their giftsósinging, serving, speaking or where everóso that it honored God and blessed others? What was the result of that and how did that impact you?

Question 4: What gifts do you haveótalents, relationships, contacts or abilitiesóto offer so that we can maximize the Churchís impact on our community? Have each person share.

Action: Identify a gift you see in someone else in your care group & encourage them to maximize it by giving it away. Finish by praying for one anotherís gifts & giving.

While the world waits and wishes for a change, this church can make it happen! We can make a difference. Because weíre a church thatís willing to demonstrate our faith, that maximizes our potential, andÖ 

3.     That dreams BIG dreams!!!!

Too many times we limit Godís ability with our own comfort zones and our fears of failure. Yet God has it covered, otherwise He would never give us God-sized dreams. Itís covered by the God-sized potential He gave us. All because He wants us to go beyond where any man has gone before: ìTruly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go to the Father.î (Jn. 14:12)

We have the ability to do greater works than Jesus Christ did Himself! Doesnít that just blow you away? Why would God expect us to do greater things than Jesus Himself? Because if we just did the things we are able to do, then where would the glory fall? On us. But if we do the things that only God can do, than the glory falls on Christ alone. God wants us to engage in God-sized dreams.

ìPray, then, in this way: ëOur Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.íî (Mt. 6:9-10) God wants us to do on earth the same things Heís doing in heaven. Is He doing earthly things up thereóworrying about what to eat or what to wear? No! Heís doing Godly thingsóaccomplishing God-sized dreams.

Imagine a ChurchÖ

Just for a second, letís imagine a churchÖ Imagine a church that actually changes a community. Imagine a church that has such a passion for people that it creates practical programs to reach out to the communityóblood drives, school clean ups, safe homes for abused women, and much more. Imagine a church that has such an impact that our city is ìabuzzî with thanks that weíre located right in the midst of it. Can you imagine a church that changes lives and makes a real difference?!

We can do it! There is no greater time than the present for the Church to respond to the Lordís call and move beyond the confines of its walls to significantly impact the community in which it lives. Thatís the call Jesus gave to inspire and move His disciples 2,000 years ago. And itís the same call He extends to you and I today. Letís do itóby demonstrating our faith, maximizing our potential and dreaming BIG dreams! Letís go for it!

Final Activity: Imagine a church that can impact its community for Jesus. Share ONE IDEA about how New Hope can make a REAL difference in Hawaiëi. Donít let it stop thereóemail Pastor Elwin your idea: elwin@eNewhope.org. Make a difference!

Final Question: How might you/your care group make a difference in your community? Dream a God-sized dream and pray for guidance, especially how to complete it and when to complete it by. Make a difference!