8 Focal Points of Being On Mission

Posted on August 29, 2012 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

God’s dream for us is a dream … to become the hands and feet of Jesus in our neighborhoods:

  • Actually knowing who our neighbors are,
  • Sincerely caring about what happens in their lives,
  • Immediately coming to their rescue when life falls apart all around them.

In the book of Acts, the original Spiritual First Responders concentrated on 8 focal points just outside their door …

  • Loving their neighbor as the mission of their small group “search and rescue” team. (Acts 2.40)

“And with many other words he testified and strongly urged them, saying, “Be saved from this corrupt generation!” (Acts 2:40)

Love your neighbor isn’t just a slogan, it’s a lifestyle. Compassion doesn’t end because someone doesn’t share our faith … yet. If we are going to actually be a Christian, we will need to go into our neighborhoods and love the people around us.

  • Baptizing new disciples as the responsibility of their small group “search and rescue” team. (Acts 2.41)

“So those who accepted his message were baptized, and that day about 3,000 people were added to them.” (Acts 2:41)

Your baptism is your certification, your authorization to baptize a new disciple. Jesus authorizes you, as His agent on Earth, to do the work of His Kingdom on His behalf. And since you are authorized as His agent, you are capable of gathering your small group together and baptizing the new disciple of Jesus!

  • Teaching new disciples to obey Jesus as the occupation of their small group “search and rescue” team. (Acts 2.42)

“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to the prayers.” (Acts 2:42)

When you break this apart, you notice discipleship has three aspects to it …

1)   There is a lifestyle to live – “the apostle’s teaching”

2)   There is a family to live with (small group) – “breaking of bread”

3)   There is a mission to live out – “the prayers”

The first century disciples also show us that Spiritual First Responders will focus on …

  • Trusting Jesus to be with them as the reality of their small group “search and rescue” team. (Acts 2.43)

Where Jesus is, there will be power! Thus we read,

“Then fear came over everyone, and many wonders and signs were being performed through the apostles.” (Acts 2:43)

As a small group, when we start praying as a group for the lost, reaching out, sharing Christ, leading people to Jesus … God comes down in your midst! God’s presence does amazing things … impossible things!

  • Uniting with God’s family at Pacific as the strength of their small group “search and rescue” team. (Acts 2.44)

“One who isolates himself pursues selfish desires; he rebels against all sound judgment.” (Proverbs 18:1)

The true child of God gets into a small group – they don’t “pursue selfish desires” by isolating themselves. You have heard people say, “I don’t need to come to a church service to worship. I can be a good Christian alone.” That is simply not true. Solomon says you are “rebelling against all sound judgment.” In contrast to such selfishness, we read that the true Spiritual First responder lives a different lifestyle …

“Now all the believers were together and held all things in common.” (Acts 2:44)

You see, it is in a small group where Spiritual First Responders will focus on …

  • Sacrificing for the needs of one another as the demonstration of their small group “search and rescue” team. (Acts 2.45)

Love one another is no longer a slogan in a small group. As you sit with others and talk, the conversation inevitably comes around to how things are going. Friends share their hearts with their friends. In a small group people grow to be transparent – it is the mark of love. Who can hear of a friend’s need and not try to meet it? Only a person with a cold heart – a pretender and not a real friend! As we see from the 1st century, the way a true disciple takes care of needs is as follows …

“They sold their possessions and property and distributed the proceeds to all, as anyone had a need.” (Acts 2:45)

Spiritual First Responders will focus on …

  • Devoting their lives to God and His people at Pacific as the glue of their small group “search and rescue” team. (Acts 2.46)

Doing life and ministry together – that’s the motto of a small group! The small group that worships together grows deeper together! We learn this from the 1st century campaign for Jerusalem …

“Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple complex, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with a joyful and humble attitude,” (Acts 2:46)

Note with some emphasis that there were two keys to a strong faith that was “on mission”

1)   They worshiped together – they literally went to worship and sat together

2)   They lived life with one another – they were in each other’s homes regularly for meals, small group and social occasions

And when this is true Spiritual First Responders will be able to focus on …

  • Enjoying the favor of God as the benefit of their small group “search and rescue” team. (Acts 2.47)

Why would we do life with our small group “search and rescue” team? Look at these benefits

“… praising God and having favor with all the people. And every day the Lord added to them those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:47)

1)   They had received God’s answers to their prayers, thus they had something to praise God about

2)   They had received favor with all the people – why? Because they had been so generous and caring!

3)   They were seeing new men, women, teens and children put their total trust and allegiance in Jesus Christ on a daily basis.

Who wouldn’t want a life like that? That’s my hope and prayer for you! But it will only happen as you surrender your life to the mission of Jesus as we express it in our vision wheel.

Then, and only then, will you enjoy these amazing benefits.

Spiritual 1st Responders understand the dangers of working alone and the benefits of working with others. Since they are the first to respond they use technology to assemble their small group team rapidly and beneficially to meet the need of the moment.

 

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Come and Visit Jesus Boyhood Home of Nazareth!

Posted on August 28, 2012 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

“After Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, “Get up! Take the child and His mother and go to the land of Israel, because those who sought the child’s life are dead.” So he got up, took the child and His mother, and entered the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned in a dream, he withdrew to the region of Galilee. Then he went and settled in a town called Nazareth to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets, that He will be called a Nazarene.” (Matthew 2:19–23, HCSB)

Walk through the town where Jesus grew up! Situated inside a bowl atop the Nazareth ridge north of the Jezreel valley, Nazareth was a relatively isolated village in the time of Jesus with a population less than two hundred.

Today Nazareth is home to more than 60,000 Israeli Arabs, and Upper Nazareth is home to thousands more Jewish residents.

Very little is known about Nazareth from the ancient sources.  Outside of the New Testament, Nazareth is never mentioned until the Byzantine period (4th c. AD).

Archaeological excavations have confirmed that the city was only a small agricultural village during the Hellenistic and Roman periods.

A Byzantine church was built over the place where it is believed that the angel Gabriel announced the birth of Jesus to the virgin Mary.  In 1966 the Roman Catholic Church began constructing a new basilica over these remains and today this church is the largest church building in the Middle East.  The Greek Orthodox Church nearby is built over the town’s water source.

Jesus spent his boyhood years in Nazareth before beginning his ministry when he was about 30.  After moving his home to Capernaum, Jesus returned to teach in the synagogue of Nazareth twice more, but was rejected both times.  On one occasion the townspeople were so outraged at Jesus that they tried to throw him off a cliff to his death.

You will see this as you tour Israel with us in February 2013!

There’s Still Time to Register For This Trip!

Melodee and I want to invite you to join us on this amazing, once-in-a-lifetime trip. Don’t miss this opportunity! God wants to transform your life like He has done to us!

This is a 10-day trip leaving February 18th, 2013. We have made it easy for you to join us with a choice of departures cities across the country: You can choose to leave from Los Angeles, Chicago or New York.

Details and a brochure with all the details are located at this link. We encourage you to get your deposit in while space is still available!

Melodee and I are here to answer all of your questions! You can email us at: pastormatt [@] eaglesinleadership.org

We look forward to touring with you in Israel in February!

 

 

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Episode 122 – Spiritual First Responders Invest and Sacrifice Your Life in Others!

Posted on August 27, 2012 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

We are glad to welcome you back to another edition of the Transformed podcast.

We continue our series entitled, Where Is God Taking Us? today. God is launching the men and women of Pacific Baptist Church into their neighborhoods as care givers – Spiritual First Responders who actually care for the well being of the people who live around them – so that they might be the first person they come to for help of any kind!

In today’s episode, Dr. Matthew Smith, lead pastor of Pacific Baptist Church in El Segundo, California, shows us that First Responders understand their mission is to “love their neighbor as themselves.” This means that when there is a need in their neighborhood, they are the first ones to respond to that need. When these needs are taken care of early, great loss and catastrophe can be avoided.

As you open your Bible to Matthew 25, it is our hope and prayer that you, too, will be encouraged to live out the second commandment: “To love your neighbor AS yourself.”

 

 

Men and women across the auditorium chose to stand publicly and say that they were willing to play “Tic-Tac-Toe” with their neighbors by getting their names in the next few weeks. It is our sincere hope and prayer that you, too, have joined in choosing to care for and love your neighbor. We will continue to discover more practical ways to do this in the weeks to come.

If you have, will you take the next steps in growing your love for your neighbor by getting into a small group of believers and digging into the Bible through group study?

To help you live out this message, you can take advantage of the thought of this message by ordering a copy of Pastor Matt’s book, Growing Missional Leaders.

Growing Missional Leaders is a practical, passionate, Biblical mentoring journey for individuals, small groups, leadership teams and congregations who desire to win their world for Christ. You can order a copy of Growing Missional Leaders from Amazon by clicking the link on the side panel of the Eagles In Leadership website.

We are praying that you would be filled with the love of God so that you can demonstrate His love to the lost and dying in your city! God bless!

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Transformed Interviews Wayne Elsey – Almost Isn't Good Enough!

Posted on August 23, 2012 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

We are thrilled to share with you our interview with Wayne Elsey, author of the amazing book,  Almost Isn’t Good Enough.

 Almost Isn’t Good Enough  is call to live out the compassion of Jesus’ heart in a world of suffering and hopelessness. A man who decided one day to make a difference globally writes about what he has learned, hoping to challenge you to make a difference in your world in your generation.

Taking what he knew from his corporate experience, much like Moses took his shepherd’s rod, Wayne shares how he formed a non-profit organization that uses the best common sense to change the world, one pair of shoes at a time.

You will be challenged to rethink how organizations work, especially if you are in a non-profit, like the Church, and why they run.

You can learn more about Wayne and his ministry here.

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Imitating God’s 6 Actions With a Lost Sheep!

Posted on August 22, 2012 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

Have you ever lost your keys? Does it drive you as crazy as it used to drive me? You know how it is – you turn the house upside down. In the couch, throwing cushions, looking everywhere – frantic to find those keys! Why? Because they are important!

So what do we do as Spiritual 1st Responders to search out the lost and missing person from within our midst in the congregation or within our neighborhood? We will imitate the 6 actions of God when a sheep from His flock is lost …

  • I will look for them until I have found them! (Ezekiel 34.11-12)

“For this is what the Lord God says: See, I Myself will search for My flock and look for them. As a shepherd looks for his sheep on the day he is among his scattered flock, so I will look for My flock.” (Ezekiel 34:11–12)

If we are going to imitate God’s love for one another, we will need to search and look for the lost and wandering! We start inside our church family and search and look for the lost … but we also do this within our neighborhood.

  • When you don’t see an elderly neighbor for a day or two, you stop by and see if everything is all right.
  • When you don’t see a family next door, you ring the doorbell and look in the windows to see if all is OK.
  • When you care about your neighbors, they will care about you!  (and, eventually, your Jesus)

Once the lost and wandering person is found, what does God do?

“I will rescue them from all the places where they have been scattered on a cloudy and dark day.” (Ezekiel 34:12)

Have you ever cried out to God, thinking the situation you are in is so difficult, so precarious; you can see no hope or help apart from the supernatural? So, you cry out to God and whom does He send? An angel? No! He sends a person! A Spiritual 1st Responder!God uses people to accomplish His ways! That’s why when we find the lost and wandering neighbor, we imitate God! As a Spiritual 1st Responder …

  • I will rescue them from wherever they have wandered to.  (Ezekiel 34.12)

When someone is lost, extricating him or her from his or her situation may take some help! After all, you are only one person. Where does the Spiritual 1st Responder get such help? From their small group, of course! Not only is your small group your support group, it is also your search and rescue team. Once we rescue them, we continue to imitate God, who says …

“I will bring them out from the peoples, gather them from the countries, and bring them into their own land.” (Ezekiel 34:13)

You will see that God doesn’t leave us where we have wandered off. God moves us away from the places that we have been in and brings us back to the family (flock) of God. So, if I am to imitate God’s love as a Spiritual 1st Responder …

  • I will bring them back to the people of God in worship. (Ezekiel 34.13)

God knows that in order for anyone to truly be refreshed in their Spirit and Soul, they will need to come into worship. Why? It is in worship that …

  • We discover our value as we adore our Creator God in abundant praise
  • We discover our purpose as we dedicate our lives afresh in surrender
  • We discover our significance as we direct our lives anew to God’s mission

No wonder God would bring us into worship! And these are three of the most important reasons why we would bring the lost and wandering to worship! Once He has returned the lost to worship God says …

“I will shepherd them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines, and in all the inhabited places of the land.” (Ezekiel 34:13)

Notice where God shepherds and cares for His sheep. “On the mountains,” “in the ravines” “and in all the inhabited places.” These are the places sheep live. This is the “real world” for a sheep. God shepherds sheep where they live. And so should we! That’s why, as a Spiritual 1st Responder …

  • I will disciple them to live with a real-world faith. (Ezekiel 34.13)

Shepherding is the daily activity of living life with the sheep and caring for them constantly. Jesus speaks of our responsibility to care for the sheep and live with the sheep as the process of discipleship and training. You can’t make an impact from a distance. Remember the verses we read earlier?

“Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19–20, NLT)

When a wandering sheep continues to wander off, the shepherd goes to some extreme measures to get it to stop wandering. The shepherd will break one of the legs of the sheep on purpose. Then, because the sheep cannot walk, the shepherd carries the sheep around his neck everywhere that sheep has to go. Talk about the burden of leadership! Why does the shepherd do that? Because the sheep needs to learn to obey and stay with the flock for protection! As a result of this extreme love, the heart of the sheep is deeply connected to the shepherd. A life-long bond exists and the sheep seldom ever wanders far from the shepherd again. Just as God trains the sheep that have lost and wandering, so should we.

But how will you train the lost and wandering you are rescuing? Great question! We disciple them so that they can disciple others! This leads us to the next action that we imitate from God as a Spiritual 1st Responder!

  • I will draw them into my small group for feeding, friendship and protection. (Ezekiel 34.13)

God is our example, and he tells us that when he rescues the lost and wandering He draws them into the flock.

“I will tend them with good pasture, and their grazing place will be on Israel’s lofty mountains. There they will lie down in a good grazing place; they will feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. I will tend My flock and let them lie down.” (Ezekiel 34:14–15)

Think of the flock with me for a minute. Here is where the sheep gather and are cared for by the shepherd. As the Spiritual 1st Responder, the shepherd knows and leads the sheep. Remember what Jesus says …

“The shepherd walks right up to the gate. The gatekeeper opens the gate to him and the sheep recognize his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he gets them all out, he leads them and they follow because they are familiar with his voice.” (John 10:2–4, The Message)

This is what David meant about how God cares for us, His sheep, when he wrote  …

“The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.”

(Psalm 23:1–3, NLT)

As we imitate God, and Jesus, we shepherd the lost and wandering by drawing them into our small group. It is there that they are fed from the Word of God, strengthened through the relationships and protected by the care of a shepherd.

You see, we can wrap the whole thought of today’s study into one phrase. Like God, as a Spiritual 1st Responder …

  • I will care and protect them as my own family.

This is the declaration of the Lord God. “I will seek the lost, bring back the strays, bandage the injured, and strengthen the weak, but I will destroy the fat and the strong. I will shepherd them with justice.” (Ezekiel 34:15–16)

As a Spiritual 1st Responder it is our loving responsibility to seek out the lost, bring back the strays, bandage the injured and strengthen the weak. All the while, we protect them from the predators – here described as “the fat and the strong.”

Why would we do all of this?

“Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:39)

Spiritual 1st Responders do not wait for someone to tell them to rescue the lost. It is their prime mission to do search and rescue from wherever the lost have been scattered to. They are the first ones to respond when someone goes missing – calling on their small group to assist them in the rescue, recovery and return of the lost one to the flock of God.

 

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Come and See Where Jesus Healed the Demon-Possessed Man!

Posted on August 21, 2012 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

“When He had come to the other side, to the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men met Him as they came out of the tombs. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. Suddenly they shouted, “What do You have to do with us, Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?”

 Now a long way off from them, a large herd of pigs was feeding. “If You drive us out,” the demons begged Him, “send us into the herd of pigs.”

“Go!” He told them. So when they had come out, they entered the pigs. And suddenly the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and perished in the water. Then the men who tended them fled. They went into the city and reported everything—especially what had happened to those who were demon-possessed. At that, the whole town went out to meet Jesus. When they saw Him, they begged Him to leave their region.” (Matthew 8:28–34, HCSB)

Walk through the town where Jesus did this exorcism! See the place where the miracle took place. Imagine the shock and awe of the villagers as they told Jesus to leave as a result of this. Listen as we read these words in their original setting.

Kursi is the Arabic name of the valley whose western side touches the lake shore, and where remains of a Jewish fishing village from the time of the Mishnah and the Talmud was found, and on whose eastern side, at the foot of the Golan Heights, a monastery was discovered. The monastery was found by accident during road construction after the Six-Day War.

According to the New Testament, Jesus disembarked here and met a man plagued by unclean spirits. Jesus cast out the unclean spirits into a herd of pigs grazing nearby, which stampeded into the lake and drowned (Mark 5:21). Versions of the story also appear in Matthew 8:28-33 and Luke 8: 26-39). The Gospels do not mention a specific site for the miracle, but early Christian tradition marked it here.

You will see this as you tour Israel with us in February 2013!

There’s Still Time to Register For This Trip!

Melodee and I want to invite you to join us on this amazing, once-in-a-lifetime trip. Don’t miss this opportunity! God wants to transform your life like He has done to us!

This is a 10-day trip leaving February 18th, 2013. We have made it easy for you to join us with a choice of departures cities across the country: You can choose to leave from Los Angeles, Chicago or New York.

Details and a brochure with all the details are located at this link. We encourage you to get your deposit in while space is still available!

Melodee and I are here to answer all of your questions! You can email us at: pastormatt [@] eaglesinleadership.org

We look forward to touring with you in Israel in February!

 

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6 Ways Love Responds to Another’s Cry!

Posted on August 15, 2012 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

When we consider the enormity of Jesus command in the Great Commission, we are staggered by it:

“Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”” (Matthew 28:19–20, NLT)

What would cause the people around us, much less the people around the world, to be that interested in our faith? I’m glad you asked! Jesus told us that we have a “secret weapon!” What is Jesus’ secret weapon?

“Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:39)

What does this love look like when it is deployed to our neighbors? Paul describes this love in detail when he says:

“Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have. Love doesn’t strut, Doesn’t have a swelled head, Doesn’t force itself on others, Isn’t always “me first,” Doesn’t fly off the handle, Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others, Doesn’t revel when others grovel, Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, Puts up with anything, Trusts God always, Always looks for the best, Never looks back, But keeps going to the end. Love never dies. Inspired speech will be over some day; praying in tongues will end; understanding will reach its limit.” (1 Corinthians 13:4–8, The Message)

Who wouldn’t be drawn to such love? As Mary Kay said years ago, “Every person you meet has an invisible sign around their neck and it says, “Appreciate Me!”

When love is truly demonstrated to our neighbor, we will live out these words:

“Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:39)

Love Responds To Another’s Cry!

What does love in action look like when it comes in contact with its community? Job gives us a picture of the love of God in action in his community. We discover that the love of God was expressed through Job in at least 6 ways during his lifetime. Over his lifetime he tells us …

I rescued the poor man who cried out for help, and the fatherless child who had no one to support him. (Job 29:12)

  • Love rescues the poor and the fatherless when they cry out for help (Job 29.12)

As a Spiritual First Responder, how can one not see a need and not try to meet it; finding a hurt, not try to heal it? As Job walked through his neighborhood and community, he saw people in need and cared for them. This was more than the spare change to the guy at the off ramp. Because He knew the people he knew when their need was genuine and he set out – because he was compelled by the love of God – to love his neighbor as himself!

At another time in his life he tells us …

The dying man blessed me, and I made the widow’s heart rejoice.

(Job 29:13)

  • Love supports the widow when her husband dies impoverished (Job 29.13)

Consider the couple that struggles to make ends meet and lives check-to-check. And then the unthinkable happens – he is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer – Stage 4. There’s no life insurance, there’s no family to help. What will this soon-to-be wife do? Who will she find to help her? Who will care for her when her husband passes? How will she make ends meet? Who will advise her?

Job tells us he took over as a Spiritual First Responder. He was the trusted friend, loyal advisor. He protected her from the ruthless predators. As her husband lay dying, he blessed Job because of Job’s promise to him that all would be all right.

When you love your neighbor, you actually …

“Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:39)

As time went on, such kindnesses were rewarded with greater influence. For Job, that meant a political position where he could make decisions in the community.  He reports …

I clothed myself in righteousness, and it enveloped me; my just decisions were like a robe and a turban. (Job 29:14)

  • Love reconciles the conflicted with justice bringing protection and care (Job 29.14)

We remember that Jesus called us to this role as well when he said,

“You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family.” (Matthew 5:9, The Message)

Peace making is part of loving your neighbor as yourself. As Spiritual 1st responders, its love’s response to bring peace to those in our neighborhood!

Job tells us that …

I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame. (Job 29:15)

  • Love assists the physically challenged so their dignity isn’t compromised and their life isn’t lost (Job 29.15)

Job tells us that when the love of God flows from the heart a Spiritual First Responder, it compensates for the challenges of those around it. When a person cannot see, they are still a person who is made in God’s image. If they cannot walk, they still feel, love and care. Both are in need of the love of Jesus and both are to be treated with the dignity of being created in the image of God. Job tells us that we rescue those who have a limitation – here blindness and an inability to walk by offering assistance. They will let us know if / what they need from us. We surely don’t do this with pity. The disabled don’t want our pity, they would appreciate our assistance. Love gives that assistance.

Job also tells us that …

I was a father to the needy, and I examined the case of the stranger.

 (Job 29:16)

  • Love provides for the needy in their time of emergency (Job 29.16)

Into this mix of needy people all around you, the Lord has placed you – put you there where you live to change your neighborhood for the glory of God! Let’s hover over this verse we ended our last message with …

“You didn’t choose to be where you are. God has actually placed you where you are at this point in history and he’s done it for a reason: So that others would perhaps reach out for him and find him, ‘though he is not far away from any one of us,’” (Acts 17:26-27, Runyon)

You see, God has placed you in your neighborhood … your physical address is His doing! He wants you to know that he put you there as a Spiritual First Responder so that you would love your neighbor with this amazing love we talked about earlier in the hopes that they would reach out for him and find him through you!

And Job reminds us that when a Spiritual First Responder truly lives in a community they truly love the people that make up that community. And when the love of God flows through your soul, the Spiritual First Responder gets angry when someone is taken advantage of. And so Job says …

I shattered the fangs of the unjust and snatched the prey from his teeth.

(Job 29:17)

  • Love defends the legally oppressed from the ruthless and unjust (Job 29.17)

When you combine your influence with that of others in your small group, you can rescue those in need with your team – your support group – your small group! You know there are all sorts of predators out there taking advantage of people. Some prey on the defenseless, like the widow and the fatherless. Others target seniors. Still others feast on the sexual temptations of men, women and teens. Another group traps our innocent children for their perverted ways. This list is endless.

For the pragmatic amongst us, who ask, “So what does this get us?” I have a great answer: Influence! Consider how Job started our opening passage today:

When I went out to the city gate and took my seat in the town square, the young men saw me and withdrew, while older men stood to their feet. City officials stopped talking and covered their mouths with their hands. The noblemen’s voices were hushed, and their tongues stuck to the roof of their mouths. When they heard me, they blessed me, and when they saw me, they spoke well of me.  (Job 29:7-11)

If we want to unlock our communities and reach them with the love and leadership of Jesus Christ, we must influence them in a favorable way. Many lament that no one comes to Church anymore. They talk about how people don’t care about the Church. But I submit to you that the problem is ours and ours alone.

People can’t care about something they know nothing about. While we may think the sign on the street should bring people into the sanctuary, that thinking is just untrue. Studies for 3 decades have maintained that 87% of the people within a church were brought by a friend or a relative.

If we want the community to come to worship with us, we will have to make friends with them. We will have to …

“Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:39)

The reality is …

  • The community will care about the Church when the Church cares about the community enough to be Spiritual First Responders to our neighbors.

 

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Come and See the Apostle Peter’s House!

Posted on August 14, 2012 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

“When Jesus went into Peter’s house, He saw his mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. So He touched her hand, and the fever left her. Then she got up and began to serve Him. When evening came, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. He drove out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick, so that what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: He Himself took our weaknesses and carried our diseases.” (Matthew 8:14–17, HCSB)

Look into the Apostle Peter’s house! See where the miracle of healing his mother-in-law took place. Imagine the conversations of Jesus and Peter in this place. Listen as we read these words in their original setting.

In existence from the 2nd c. B.C. to the 7th c. A.D., Capernaum was built along the edge of the Sea of Galilee and had up to 1500 residents.

Jesus made Capernaum his home during the years of his ministry: “Leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum” (Matt 4:13).

Peter, Andrew, James and John were fishermen living in the village.  Matthew the tax collector also dwelt here.

Excavations revealed one residence that stood out from the others.  This house was the object of early Christian attention with 2nd century graffiti and a 4th century house church built above it.  In the 5th century a large octagonal Byzantine church was erected above this, complete with a baptistery.  Pilgrims referred to this as the house of the apostle Peter.

You will see this as you tour Israel with us in February 2013!

There’s Still Time to Register For This Trip!

Melodee and I want to invite you to join us on this amazing, once-in-a-lifetime trip. Don’t miss this opportunity! God wants to transform your life like He has done to us!

This is a 10-day trip leaving February 18th, 2013. We have made it easy for you to join us with a choice of departures cities across the country: You can choose to leave from Los Angeles, Chicago or New York.

Details and a brochure with all the details are located at this link. We encourage you to get your deposit in while space is still available!

Melodee and I are here to answer all of your questions! You can email us at: pastormatt [@] eaglesinleadership.org

We look forward to touring with you in Israel in February!

 

 

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Episode 121 – Spiritual First Responders Face Incredible Challenges With Courage

Posted on August 9, 2012 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

Today we begin a new series entitled, Where Is God Taking Us? As Dr. Matthew Smith, lead pastor of Pacific Baptist Church in El Segundo, California, begins this series, he is sharing one of the key aspects of the vision God has given to the church.

God is launching the men and women of Pacific Baptist Church into their neighborhoods as care givers – Spiritual First Responders who actually care for the well being of the people who live around them – so that they might be the first person they come to for help of any kind!

As you open your Bible to Joshua 1, it is our hope and prayer that you, too, will be encouraged to live out the second commandment: “To love your neighbor AS yourself.”

 

Men and women across the auditorium chose to stand publicly and say that they accept the vision to become a Spiritual First Responder in their neighborhoods so that they can demonstrate their love for their neighbors. It is our sincere hope and prayer that you, too, have joined in choosing to care for and love your neighbor. We will discover the practical ways to do this in the weeks to come.

If you have, will you take the next steps in growing your love for your neighbor by getting into a small group of believers and digging into the Bible through group study?

To help you live out this message, you can take advantage of the thought of this message by ordering a copy of Pastor Matt’s book, Growing Missional Leaders.

Growing Missional Leaders is a practical, passionate, Biblical mentoring journey for individuals, small groups, leadership teams and congregations who desire to win their world for Christ. You can order a copy of Growing Missional Leaders from Amazon by clicking the link on the side panel of the Eagles In Leadership website.

 

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Love Your Neighbor As Yourself

Posted on August 8, 2012 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

Today I want to make a confession. Today I want to tell you the one command of God I neglect to obey the most. Would you like to hear what it is?

“Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:39)

You see, I simply have chosen to ignore my neighbors almost all of my Christian life. And why not? I have more important things to do. You may ask me what those things are and I would tell you that for most of my Christian life I have focused my time and energies on the following …

  • Preparing for Sunday School
  • Going to Sunday School
  • Preparing for worship
  • Attending worship
  • Preparing for Sunday Night Service
  • Going to Sunday Night Service
  • Preparing for Bible Study
  • Going to Bible Study

You see, the reason for my greatest sin of ignoring and neglecting to love my neighbor was too much Bible Study! Now, before you judge me too hard, you have to understand, I was taught that this was the Christian life!

  • I was told that, in order to be a good Christian, I had to attend Bible studies and Christian events.
  • I was told that, in order to be a good Christian, I have to avoid the sinners and stay with the saints.

And I bought it – all of it! Besides, as a pastor, that’s what the people wanted – Bible studies. And what do I love to do? What am I gifted to do? Teach! So, it seemed like a no-brainer! This was God’s will for my life and the life of the congregations I pastored.

And everything was hunky-dory until a few years ago Our dear friend, Alice Dalager, took a 13-week, 2 hour-a-night class I taught at church – did I mention I love to teach and am gifted to teach?

When we were wrapping up the class, I asked each student to give some feedback so the next time I taught the class I could improve it. What Alice said has haunted me ever since. Here’s what she said,

I’ve learned that Jesus spent a lot less time in church than I do.

We waited because she was obviously not finished yet with her thought. Then she concluded …

Perhaps that’s why He was so much more effective than I am.

Wow! You could have knocked me over with a feather! I have been rereading my Bible and studying what Jesus did (and the rest of the Bible leaders) ever since.

And do you know what I’ve found? I’ve found that she was right!

  • Jesus never intended for His people to attend endless Bible studies, worship services and Christian events!

In fact, it is very obvious by the way Jesus and the disciples operated, that they would find this type of lifestyle a direct disobedience to what God intends for us.

Focusing Our Direction On Our Neighbor

In other words, this is serious stuff we are talking about. Can you see why I said this was the most neglected command of Jesus in my life? What’s worse, this is the SECOND command – as important as the first one Jesus gave us! Remember the context of the second commandment?

“Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?” Jesus replied, “ ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:36–40, NLT)

Jesus is a genius. He’s the smartest guy ever. “Love God with all your heart, soul, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself—it’s a simple, strategic plan that would change the world if every believer did it.

  • In other words, if we are to love our neighbor as ourselves, we need to make sure the men and women, teens and children around us are as cared for by us as we have cared for ourselves.

Why? Because that’s the way Jesus cares for us!

  • He has forgiven us – as we have learned these last 3 months – when we didn’t ask to be forgiven.
  • He has made a way for us to be reconciled to Him, even when we didn’t ask for it.
  • He moved into our neighborhood so that He could love us as a community as well as individually.
  • He has stepped out and come to us (Rom 5.8) – He crossed the street so to speak – (Phil 2.5-8) – to connect with us.

We are to love our neighbor by imitating the very heart and actions of God through Jesus Christ.

“Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children.” (Ephesians 5:1)

“And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1, NLT)

If you are half awake right now, one of the questions that should be buzzing around your head is,

How can I care for the needs of my neighbors if I don’t know their names, much less their needs?

That’s a GREAT question! If we are going to meet needs, we need to know names – actually, we need to know our neighbors!

If you don’t know the names of your neighbors, you are not alone! In 2010, the Pew Internet and American Life project asked more than 2,200 adults about their communities.

  • Some 28% (about 1 out of 4) didn’t even know the name of even one neighbor!
  • Only 19% (1 in 5) said they knew all of them!

So what do we do? Did you take a few minutes to play the game we gave you with a friend before the service began or after our prayer time?

Well, we play Tic-Tac-Toe with our neighbors! The middle box represents your residence. The ones around you represent those surrounding you, whether they are homes, townhomes or apartments. Here’s ours so far …

How did I get these names? This is what I have had to do:

Go outside!

I am getting to know my neighbors. All I do is walk outside when I see / hear them outside. When I am inside, I have 0% chance of connecting with them. When I go outside, I have a better than 50% chance of connecting.

Listen well!

Jesus’ outreach included speaking and silence. We need to study our neighborhoods as well as we study our Bible.

  • Who lives near me – what are their names?
  • What do they do for a living?
  • How old are their children?
  • How long have they lived here?
  • Where are they from?
  • What’s going on in their lives?
  • What do they talk about? – Most important = most talked about.

Such questions help create opportunities to know the stories and dreams of your neighborhood.

Listen to understand. Understand to love.

Get Training!

It helps to have some specific knowledge and a sensitive touch. Building a network of men and women to pray, talk and walk through your neighborhood with helps as you reach out. We want you to get involved in a small group again this fall if you haven’t already been in one this spring.  

In these small groups we are going to teach you how to train another person to walk with Jesus Christ – the process is called discipleship. We want you to understand how to walk with Him and how to help others walk with Christ – just as we are told to do …

“Then Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18–20)

It would be absolutely worthless – in terms of eternity – if we helped people become comfortable while they sailed on the Titanic into a Christ-less eternity.

But remember our vision, which we talked about last week:

  • God is launching us into our NEIGHBORHOODS as care givers – Spiritual First Responders who actually care for the well being of the people who live around us – so that we might be the first person they come to for help of any kind!

We will talk more about that and have a registration table for that soon!

Hang on to the Gospel!

The Church throughout the centuries has split and fragmented time and again over the relationship of doing and telling, largely because of the confusion of God’s mission. God has called us to “love our neighbor as ourselves.” That means we love ALL of the person –

  • We love them
  • We love their spouses
  • We love their children
  • We love their lives
  • We love their souls

In order to accomplish this each one of us will have to:

“Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:39)

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