03 Apr Come Home | Part 1 “God’s Heart For Those Who Aren’t Home”
Announcements:
Fire pit is done!
No First Tuesday in April
Good Friday, April 15 at 4:00 and 6:00p in NA
6:00p in Apollo Beach and Woonsocket
New ministry – conversation style Small Group called Alph that Mehdi and April will be leading. It is for seekers, those on the fence about faith, or disenfranchised from faith. It is to reach lost people. More info to come.
THANK YOU to all who came out to suppor our relay team events!
If you missed the fun Paint fundraiser and or Chick Fil A, we have another great one coming up:
MAY 1 – Sunday from 2:00p- 5:00p at Towne Tavern in North Attleboro – Silent Auction and Raffles – $15 for early registration and $20 at the door! Your ticket price includes hot and cold Hors d’oeuvres. It will be a fund afternoon and all proceeds go to Waters for Life Relay for Life Team. Click below for early bird registration and share with friends! Stop in for a bit or stay for the entire time!
Silent Auction Early Bird Registration
Click link below to check out what relay for life is, join team, or donate to Waters for Life: RelayforlifeGreaterAttleboro
We are also accepting Silent Auction and Raffle donations!
Apollo Beach Only: Get text alerts by texting ‘waterschurchab’ to 81411. Woonsocket will have their own soon, stay tuned.
Woonsocket Only: text ‘waterschurchws’ to 81411.
NA: ‘waterschurch’ to 81411.
Tuesday Cafe is open from 10-1 in NA.
All announcements can be found at: waterschurch.guide
Our text alert number is 81411. Text ‘waterschurch’ to 81411 to join our text alert system.
The Deep End, the new Deep Dive Bible Study, and 10 questions with Tim are back! Please note that The Deep End will only be available on timhatchlive./live. Be sure to like and subscribe to the channel to be notified of each new podcast.
Key Verse: Luke 15
Come Home – Part 1
God’s Heart for Those Who Aren’t Home
Luke 15
EASTER is COMING.
People are far from God. One of our core values at Waters is: ‘We are here for those not yet here.’ If we claim to follow Jesus, we should be here for the lost. Church is not a social gathering of people going to heaven. We have a job to do, and many times we forget that. Easter is a big opportunity to ask someone to join us at church. People are fare more willing to come for Easter than any other service. God seeks sinners. If he seeks them, then we better. Jesus never sinned, but those who loved him were some of the worst sinners around.
We will never seek the lost with Jesus if we do not see the lost the way He does. Humans are not our enemy, it is a spiritual fight. The Church Jesus annoys are the religious people posturing for themselves. They are the religious insiders.
Q. What are some ways you approach unbelievers (in the work place, neighborhood, school etc) that annoy you?
Luke 14:26-27
These are Jesus’s most demanding words. He draws a firm line in
the sand. We must consider Jesus the most important thing in our life, if not, then are we really following Him?
Luke 14:33-35
Luke 15:1-3
Now the tax collectors and sinners are drawing near to Him. The people who respond to Him are the cultural outcasts not religious insiders.
Some are afraid to lose relationships in our culture and are going to miss out on eternal life. The claim of Christ is absolute total commitment.
Q. What are some hurdles people in your circle (family, co-workers, neighbors) cannot get over that keeps them from a commitment to Christ?
Q. What might be a hurdle keeping you from absolute commitment to Christ?
God has us on assignment to love others with the love only He can give us.
- God sees every SINNER’S FULL STORY.
There are three parables in Luke 15 all with the same theme. Something or someone is lost and gets found. Jesus’s illustration shows every sinners story is different, some lost coins, sheep, or sons.
Not all SINNERS are LOST the SAME way.
Not all unbelievers are unbelievers for the same reason. He loved sinners because He knew they were lost.
A. SHEEP = Lost because of its own FOOLISHNESS.
Some are not saved because of their own foolishness
We are sheep. Real sheep are stubborn, stupid, skittish, and helpless. Some are lost and in the trap of anxiety, harassed by this spirit. Anxiety and depression are spirits.
Q. What are some causes of tremendous anxiety in the lives of people you know that are far from God?
Luke 15:4
They are lost and don’t know how to get out of their depression, their fears, and anxiety.
Isaiah 53:6 (ESV)
The best thing about the Christian movement is that it is made up of a bunch of sinners who are sanctified. We tend to forget what we were like prior to knowing Jesus.
Q. Who might be someone you identify with because of your past and how have you helped them?
B. COIN = Lost because of someone’s CARELESSNESS.
Some are lost because their parents were lost. They were raised in an unbelieving family, or the church abused them. We have to have a heart of these people. Some people have a valid reason for not believing.
Q. What might be some ways you have ministered to someone who has a valid reason for not believing?
Luke 15:8 (ESV)
Some are lost in the darkness, they need the light. We are the lamps at work, at home, with our neighbors. Some are lost in the mess. The world is a mess, a confusing mess of messages
Psalm 53:2-3 (ESV)
This world is filled with filth. Someone has to sweep to clear the dirt to search for the coin. Just because the coin is dirty it does not mean it’s worthless. Ever person has the imprint of God, we are made in His image.
Just because someone is FAR from God, it does NOT mean they don’t MATTER to God.
Isaiah 1:18 (ESV)
God can clean up any mess. They are not hopeless, we need to look at them and see the potential God sees in them.
C. SON = Lost because of his own SELFISHNESS.
This is more common in America. Americans are a lot like this boy.
Luke 15:12–14 (ESV)
The Prodigal Son
Some have it so good they are still convinced they are missing out on something. The scripture is clear that this son did not lose everything until the famine shows up and God is in charge of the famine showing up.
Q. What famine did God send for you to wake you up?
Q. What famine is God sending those around you?
2. God RESTORES every sinner’s TRUE PURPOSE.
The sheep got isolated (alone)
Coin lost in dark (darkness of this age)
Son enslaved to a stranger (to treasure, to devil).
Q. How might you have identified with either the sheep, the coin or the son?
Q. Who is someone right know that you know that identifies with the sheep, coin or son and how are you directing them to Jesus?
John 10:10 (ESV)
God comes to give us a purpose for living now, a reason to exist. There is a profound lack of purpose especially among our people.
Jesus came to give us a reason to live, our lives are in His hand and He has a plan for us.
Psalm 57:2 (ESV)
3. God REJOICES over every returned CHILD.
There is a party over all who He finds. God loves to throw a party!
Luke 15:7 (ESV) ; Luke 15:10 (ESV) Luke 15:22–24 (ESV)
Church is a weekly party, we have something to be excited about!
God is not mad at unbelievers, He is coming for them to save them and bring them home.
Challenge: Invite someone to Easter Service.
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