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The first words of Jesus in scripture are “I’m about the Father’s business.” What is the Father’s Business? While we don’t claim to understand the fullness of the Father’s business, we do believe it is centered on People.
We believe the Father is in the People Business. We believe that as followers of Christ, we too should be in the people business.
Learn these 4 things
- All people are important to God
- Take a look at the 5 versions of the Great Commission
- Learn that God’s entire plan is built on a “perhaps”
- Real value and worth lies in God’s perhaps
People Business 1: Perhaps from Redemption Church on Vimeo.
People Business Church
People Business 1 – Perhaps
By Chris Fluitt
Sermon Notes
**Bumper Video –
The 1st words that we have recorded from Jesus are – “I am about my Father’s business.”
What is the Father’s business?
Jesus was on a mission and on the cross before he died he declared “It is finished?”
When a resurrected Jesus appeared to His disciples he gave them commands that spoke to the promise and plan of the father?
What is this plan? What is the Father’s business?
Now while we don’t claim to understand the fullness of the Father’s business, we do believe it is centered on People.
We believe the Father is in the People Business.
People are important to God
In Creation God created everything for mankind. He created the perfect conditions for people to live. And then he put people in charge of this creation.
God completely invests in Adam & Eve. He enters into relationship with them. A covenant. And even when they break trust His actions show – People are important.
Not just certain kinds of people – ALL PEOPLE!
Not people of a certain color or nationality.
Revelation 5:9 And they sang a new song: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.(NIV)
John 3:16 tells us how important people are to God.
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.(NIV)
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.(NIV)
We could talk all day about how much people matter to God but we wouldn’t understand it fully.
People care about Gold and will walk on other people to get gold… God creates a heaven where streets are paved with gold and all are welcomed to enter. He values people more than Gold.
People care about power and will lie and kill to get it and protect it… God has all power yet puts himself in a helpless position on the cross. He did this so that He could rise again on the 3rd day and that His Living Spirit could reside in your heart giving you His power. He values people more than power.
People value pleasure so much that they become addicted and ruin their life for a short lived pleasure. Jesus Christ forsook the pleasures of this world and received tribulation, temptations, & torture. He invites us into a kingdom where he shares please with us forevermore… He values people more than pleasure.
God cares so much for people that He has this amazing plan to save humanity.
Paul tells Athens
Acts 17:24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands.(NIV)
Acts 17:25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.(NIV)
Acts 17:26 From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.(NIV)
Acts 17:27 God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.(NIV)
God has built this incredible plan and it all hangs on a perhaps.
Acts 17:27 God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.(NIV)
Perhaps
Can we be honest here… We hate perhaps. We like sure things.
I remember as a kid asking “Can we go to the park?” and I would get frustrated when my parents would say “perhaps.”
God values the perhaps and has built everything on the perhaps – that people will seek Him.
Perhaps is the answer to everything God has done with humanity…
Why did he create the world and place people on it? Perhaps…
Why didn’t he kill Adam & Eve when they sinned? Perhaps…
Why did he make a covenant with a seemingly random guy named Abram? Perhaps…
Why did he choose a stuttering unconfident Moses to stand up to the strongest nation on earth? Perhaps…
Why choose David the young shepherd boy to kill Goliath and be Israel’s king? Perhaps…
Why send His son to be born in a manger as an outcast? Perhaps…
Why did Jesus choose seemingly unqualified people as his disciples? Perhaps…
Why is God in this place today? Perhaps…
God is in the People Business and it is all built on a Perhaps.
Perhaps you will seek me… Trust me… Turn to me… Read my word… Call on me…
God is the People Business and so are we. We are in the People Business
Jesus before he ascends invites us into the people business… The Great Commission is the invitation.
A version of the Great commission can be found in each of the 4 Gospels & Acts
Matthew 28:19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,(NIV)
Mark 16:15 He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.(NIV)
Mark 16:16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.(NIV)
Luke 24:46 He told them, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day,(NIV)
Luke 24:47 and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.(NIV)
John 20:22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.(NIV)
John 20:23 If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”(NIV)
Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”(NIV)
There are reoccurring things in these 5 versions of the great commission… Believing, Repentance, Baptism for the remission of sins, the infilling of the Holy Spirit
By the Way all these things were present in Acts Chapter 2 – The Birth of the New Testament Church. In fact Peter encapsulates them in one verse
Acts 2:38 “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.(NIV)
There is one more thing present in all the great commission versions… We have believing, repentance, Baptism, Holy Spirit infilling… And we have PEOPLE
Go teach… All nations, all creation,
This is the Commission – to go reach people with the Gospel of Jesus.
Jesus hasn’t given us any other mission
God’s plan depends on us fulfilling this mission! Why would he do this to His plan? I mean if His plan could ever fail it would be by putting it in the hands of people… Why would God do this? Perhaps…
God’s plan is built on the perhaps that you will carry the Gospel of Jesus to people.
Are you about the Father’s Business?
Are you carrying out the great commission? When was the last time you shared Jesus with someone?
You worship so freely at church but have you spoken to your friends and family about the one you worship?
God’s plan is built on a perhaps. Fulfilling the great commission requires a perhaps from you.
The Chair
I want to talk to you about the value of a chair… this chair.
This chair can be purchased for anywhere near 60-70 dollars. If this 21 inch wide metal chair with custom fabric options can be ordered in bulk for a discounted rate of 32.99 from Churchchairs4less.com. If you order more than 50 chairs they throw in a chair dolly to help you move multiple chairs…
So this chair under these conditions is worth 32.99. That is the intrinsic value of this chair.
But perhaps… When someone sits in this chair it is worth a lot more than 32.99.
If your loved one were to sit down in this chair one day and hear a simple message on the Cross of Jesus and give their life to God… How much would this chair be worth?
If a drug addict walked in off the street and found deliverance while sitting in this chair.. How could you put a price on this chair?
If a young person sat in this chair through their tough adolescent years and went on to change the lives through the lessons and guidance they received from this chair… Would that be worth more than 32.99?
If no one ever sits in this chair its value will never rise above 32.99.
But the value of this chair changes on the PERHAPS. This chair becomes priceless when it is about the Father’s business… Real value and worth lies in the Perhaps…
You hold conversations with people all the time. These conversations hold value in the time and effort you place in them. Sometimes conversations don’t hold enough value so we try to end them as soon as possible.
But what would happen if PERHAPS you had a conversation that led someone to faith in Jesus Christ? Would that be valuable? Would that be worth your time and effort?
Perhaps they won’t
We often don’t share faith because “perhaps they won’t” receive what we have to say. Perhaps they will think we are dumb Christians. Perhaps it will feel awkward.
Perhaps they won’t is a possibility. But it didn’t stop God from being in the people business… from giving His son and giving us the chance for Redemption.
We have bypassed opportunities to testify and tell others about Jesus because we think the amount of rejection we will feel is far to great. Perhaps they won’t
But Perhaps they will
Do you understand the value of Perhaps they will? Perhaps they will far out ways the fear of perhaps they won’t.
Just like the value of this chair becomes greater when someone is sitting in it…
Your value as a Christ follower becomes greater when you are operating in God’s perhaps.
The value of this Church is incalculable when it is operating in God’s perhaps.
This simple sermon isn’t worth a whole lot… but if it can find the heart of someone who wants to know God and follow God… Then this sermon becomes something of value.
We are in the People business… The Father’s business. And it operates on a perhaps.
Musician
In a moment we will be opening this altar to do the third thing – To talk to God. As you come this week I want you to take one of these cards you were handed on the way into church.
I want you to put the names of some people that would make this chair priceless if they sat in it. People that are worth risking “perhaps they won’t” because there is a chance that “perhaps they will.”
I want you to come to this altar today and place that card with their name in this chair. That person’s eternity might depend on your willingness to face the perhaps.
This altar is open – come!
If you need something from God I want you to understand God’s plan is waiting on your perhaps! Perhaps you will seek him.
