March 22 - Thinking Beyond our Skin

Being witnesses to the world!

Key Focus:

• [Hey, what's that window up there? Last week's wager! Translation booth. Several front porch things: Fireproof, Eggstravaganza, Groups]
• [Mirror Piece to begin] negative connotations and typical mirror image stuff: white, middle-aged, pudgy, 10 years older, 20 pounds heavier, & 30 less hair follicles than yesterday
• Jesus breaking all the rules to spend time with the Samaritans. First, he is visiting with a Samaritan woman (John 4:7-9), then he goes and spends a couple of days living with them (4:39-42).
  • Many of the Samaritans from that village committed themselves to him because of the woman’s witness: “He knew all about the things I did. He knows me inside and out!” They asked him to stay on, so Jesus stayed two days. A lot more people entrusted their lives to him when they heard what he had to say. They said to the woman, “We’re no longer taking this on your say-so. We’ve heard it for ourselves and know it for sure. He’s the Savior of the world!” After the two days he left for Galilee (John 4:39-43 The Message)
• But that shouldn't surprise us
  • The Great Incarnation (John 1:14-18) helps us Understand the Great Commission (Mark 16:15-16)
  • Think of all the people Jesus offended by associating with those who were less than - Matthew's buddies, Zacchaeus, criticism of being friend of tax collectors and sinners, and now, Samaritans!
• Incarnation comes with limitations as well as blessings:
  • Time/Mortal
  • Space/Local
  • Prejudice/Racial
  • Gender/Sexual
  • Group/Social
  • Fallen/Spiritual
• In fact, the limitations of the incarnation become the pathways of blessings - they are necessary & crucial for there to be opportunity & understanding:
  • Time/Mortal - speak to our fear of death & human limitations
  • Space/Local - understands our need to choose & budget time
  • Prejudice/Racial - break stereotypes & transform prejudices
  • Gender/Sexual - demonstrate friendship & love in purity
  • Group/Social - the 12 show us different people working together
  • Fallen/Spiritual - power of God to transform us, power of forgiveness to restore us, opportunity to demonstrate God's power in weakness & the power of repentance to renew us
• We can use our skin to either be something that isolates us from others, or a reminder that God purposely chose for us to be who we are to be used to help reach others in the world and know that Jesus came to the world for them!
• So when you look at yourself in the mirror, what do you see?
  • What you lack?
  • What you wish you didn't look like?
  • What's wrong with you or how old or too skinny or too fat or too old or too young?
• Think outside your skin!
  • Why did God put you in you?
  • Who are you uniquely shaped to touch and influence?
  • Who can you reach in your skin with your story that no one else can reach?
  • Why are you so blessed to be put into a position to influence and bless others and what are you doing about it? [Move mirror to the front for them to see!]

• Translation Equipment ready to use in services -By Phil (Daybreak) & Vann (Refresh)

• FIREPROOF – Bulletin Front Page mention by Vann (Closing Thoughts) and Phil (Include it & Eggstravaganza at both – sending out at Refresh: pay attention to your labels in the sending out)

• Transforming Community video

• Phil strums the Groups string – Bowhunters update, Veterans Support Group & Front Porch Pickers Music Groups

• Great Commission (Mark 16:15-16) read on video for Scripture reading

• House of Prayer for the Nations (Mark 11:17)

• He Stayed there 2 days – John 4:39-42
  Not only does Jesus break the social barriers and talk to a Samaritan woman (John 4:7-9), once given the opportunity, Jesus and His disciples stayed with the Samaritans for two days! This opened the door up for the whole village to believe. It is hard to overstate how shocking Jesus’ behavior was and how it broke all the societal rules. Two other events in the NT help illustrate this importance. Cornelius’ conversion, which got Peter in all sorts of hot water because he fellowshipped and ate with Cornelius (Acts 10-11) and Peter, who quit eating and associating with Gentiles and is rebuked by Paul in Galatians 2:11-21.

• Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16) is made real and demonstrated fully in the Great Incarnation (Matthew 1:23; John 1:1-18)

  • Ultimately, to reach others, we are going to need to move past the comfort zones we feel, and follow the example of God who entered our world in Jesus. Becoming a living witness to the message is crucial (Acts 1:8). That means wherever we go, we talk the love of Jesus and the fellowship of His people with us (Acts 8:1-4)

• Transforming Community video

• Video with English, Congolese (French), Malagasy, Russian, & English rendering of this phrase from Mark's version of the Great Commission -- Mark 16:15-16:

  Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

Daybreak Focus: (Team Working on Planning Order - Pat & Phil)

• Key Items listed above including the full length mirror
• Video of Great Commission in different voices
• Singing song with verses in several languages
• More Than Video - click the product preview button (Vann set up)

Refresh Focus: (Team Working on Planning Order - Vann & Luke & Sam)

• Tags – garment tags on our clothes come from may nations

• Tie to TC focus – are we being a front porch to other nations?

• Connect Tags to Out the Door concerns

• Lord’s Supper Focus @ Refresh

  • Vann does Supper around Tags
  • Prayers for Bread and Cup in different languages: Laza and Marcus

Sundown Focus:

• Working on Concepts

LIFE Group, Discussion, & Home Gathering Questions:

• Compare the pigment of each persons skin in your group - this is politically incorrect because we are afraid to talk about race and ethnicity, but as believers, we celebrate it! The more diversity in your group, the better. It's also a reminder that really isn't a white or black or brown race, but we are "different shades of God's creative grace" (Galatians 3:26-4:4; Psalm 139:13-16).
  • If there are not many shades in your group, why not?
  • If there are, what do you think that is saying about your group?
  • Why is it so hard for us to talk about this subject in today's world?
  • Why don't we celebrate diversity more?
• Why did God place you in the situation (skin color, family of origin, family of raising, church family, experiences) that he did?
  • If we understand that God made us and gave us the experiences in our lives to have us be a blessing to others (Genesis 12:1-3; 1 Peter 13:9; Romans 8:28-29) how does that change how you view yourself?
• Several passages in Scripture remind us of the importance of both celebrating the "skin" we're born in and also challenging us to move beyond the limitations of our own "unique shade of God's creative grace." What do you think these passages teach us about how to both use our skin and our need to move beyond our skin?
  • John 1:14-18 (cf. John 3:16-17; John 20:21-22)
  • Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 2:38-39
  • Revelation 7:9-11
• How do all these passages help us speak to the nature of our real family and ethnicity and what does this say about our purpose?
  • Now answer that question again after reading 1 Peter 2:9-10 & Galatians 3:26-29