me on mission?

salt and light

externally focused

“The Externally Focused Church” by Rick Rusaw and Eric Swanson

internally focused

focused on the four walls and everything that goes on in four walls.

Isaiah 1:13-17

what was it that was so horrible that God told these people to shut down their worship services?

what did He say would correct this?

repent of sin in their lives.

serve the helpless of the world.

Four Characteristics of an Externally Focused Church:

1. They are convinced that good deeds and good news can’t and shouldn’t be separated.

externally focused believers give the people in their communities both good works AND good news!

2. They see themselves as vital to the spiritual health and well-being of their communities.

“whose lives of those in the community are different because of our witness?”

3. They believe ministering and serving are normal expressions of Christian living.

externally focused believers emphasize loving God and each other, but also make sure they love their fellow man. Matthew 22:37-40.

they are deliberate in looking for ways to serve their communities.

who is the target of the externally focused believers?

400+

Deuteronomy 10:18-19 “He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing. And you are to love those who are strangers, for you yourselves were strangers in Egypt.”

John Perkins “Not everyone is called to move to the inner-city to minister there, but everyone is called to have a heart for hurting people.”

4. They are evangelistically effective.

bridges / walls

salt / light

The “Come and See” approach to church has to go.

The “Go and Serve and Tell our community” approach has to come.

Why?

an increasingly larger portion of our population has no idea of who Jesus is, much less why they need Him.

it makes the church what Jesus meant for us to do-BEING the church of Jesus Christ through our service and love in the community.

it speaks to a church’s authenticity and that is what the world is waiting to see in followers of Jesus before they will listen to the gospel.

your chance