everybody welcome - isaiah 55

8/7/2019 Everybody Welcome - Isaiah 55

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Everybody Welcome

Introduction & Overview

Isaiah 55

12 September

Introduction

John Cleese & the Germans

Why a sermon series and course on welcome?

o Its common sense the church needs to operate effectively like any

other organisation

e.g. John Lewis

o Its strategic the church is called to grow and gain new members

Quote research from Jackson in Everybody Welcome (explain who he is)

One weakness which is worth observing

Bob Jackson appears to argue that if we resolve the issue of welcome then

the church would grow at a much faster rate. The basis for his argument is

that only a slight increase in the retention rate of visitors makes a big

difference to the growth rate of the church.

Quote p.7


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I only agree in part because

a) In my experience, most people visiting this church do get a good

welcome, though of course we can and should make it better.

Nevertheless, the vast majority do not join us. Thus it seems to methat there are deeper reasons why our church does not grow faster.

b) Although Bob Jackson argues differently, by and large, interest in

attending church at least church as we traditionally understand it

is declining year on year and so however good our welcome, if we

focus exclusively on that, we not see true growth. Welcome is no

magic bullet which will solve the problem of the churchs decline.

o Its the Gospel the church must be true to its Lord and itself

Welcome, as we shall see shortly, more or less defines who God is, shapes

the nature of His Kingdom and, therefore, must play a key role in defining

who we are as His people.

Welcome is about who God is and who we are (or should be)

Quote from Making Room p.8

wherever, whenever, however the kingdom manifests itself, it is welcomeKrister Stendahl


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The sermon series

Playing it by ear a little.

o

Introduction and overviewo The needy and marginalised

o The church and those who are a part of it

o The church and those who are not a part of it

Get involved by attending a home group of which we have six meeting bi-

monthly. These will allow you to explore these themes further and also to

engage with discussion as to how we might take things forward as a

church in this area.


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I. God & Welcome

The supreme welcomer, as I indicated a moment ago, is the Lord God of

the bible.

1 Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money,come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.

2 Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labour on what does notsatisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in therichest of fare.

3 Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live. I will make aneverlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David.

4 See, I have made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander of thepeoples.

5 Surely you will summon nations you know not, and nations that do not know youwill hasten to you, because of the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he hasendowed you with splendour.

6Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.

7 Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to theLORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

In spite of all the harsh things that Isaiah has had to say about Gods

people, Israel, underlying his word of judgement is a word of mercy or we

might even say welcome, for He is calling the people back to God

Ch.1, 2 let us reason together (1.18)

Chs. 52,53 (the centre and climax) costly reconciliationCh.54, 55 an invitation to a new world


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Note

o the triple come

o the rich symbolism this is spiritual food (c.f. v.3a)

othe minimal cost

Letter from The Times re. Polly Peck

Such sentiments are not unusual in scripture, rather they are the thread

from which it is woven.

o The story of the bible

At this point I could do another of those eleven point sermons I did some

time back on mission, but Im sure youd rather I didnt. Let me pick out

one or two highlights to make the point

Genesis 2 Adam where are you?

Genesis 3 - banishment

The Promised Land a new home

The Tabernacle & the Temple God is hidden, but presentThe Exile & restoration the return home

Jesus Christ table fellowship

The Cross an invitation, Today you will be with me in paradise

The apostles be reconciled to God

o The language of the bible

Words and concepts like

Love

Grace

Forgiveness

Community

Reconciliation

Fellowship

KingdomEven judgement those who say no

o The God of the bible


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The explanation for the bibles story and language is the person of God

Himself. He is a social being which is why the doctrine of the Trinity is so

important and so significant for our understanding of the Christian faith

(c.f. CABC)

c.f. Rublevs icon

Quote from Miroslav Volf in Lewis BST p.224,225


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II. People & Welcome

Just as the offer of welcome is central to Gods identity, so the need to be

welcomed is central to ours (as also is the need to give welcome if we had

time to dwell on it)

From the human perspective, the key storyline of the bible is humanitys

lostness or, putting it another way, our being cut off from our real home

(which is with God), our rootlessness, our exile, call it what you will.

To put it another way, we all are, to some extent or another, living east of

Eden, because we are living out of relationship with God. I say to some

extent, because if we are Christians and know something of Gods love inChrist, then we have to the extent that we know God, have come home.

Some quick references

o Augustine

Our hearts

o Charlie Brown

Snoopy Cartoon

o C S Lewis

A constant refrain throughout

It was the Unicorn who summed up what everyone was feeling. He stamped his rightfore-hoof on the ground and neighed, and then he cried:"I have come home at last! This is my real country! I belong here. This is the land Ihave been looking for all my life, though I never knew it till now. The reason why weloved the old Narnia is that is sometimes looked a little like this. Bree-hee-hee! Come

further up, come further in!"

This surely why the bible has so much to say about the problem of sin and

the solution to that problem, not because God wants to make people feelbad, but because sin results in alienation and the breakdown in

relationship and so the loss of belonging.


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In practical terms, then, there are at least two important implications of this

second point that I have been making:

o

Welcome, in its fullest sense, is a profoundly spiritual concept andmeans far more than a warm smile and cup of fairly traded coffee. At

its deepest level it means the offer of eternal life, which is why it is

simplistic to think that if we get our welcome sorted out, everything

else will follow. True welcome is actually about challenging people to

discipleship, to the following of Jesus Christ, about inviting them to

walk with us the way of the cross.

o

There is a world out there in need of welcome in the fullest sense of theword. A world in which people need to know that they are significant,

that they are cared for and valued. Ultimately, as we have just seen,

that the answer to their deepest needs is the love of God as seen in

Jesus Christ. This challenge is greater than that of welcome, but not

less.

Quote statistics Tim Chesters Good News to the Poor p.132


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III. Church & Welcome

Weve thought about God as the welcomer

Weve thought about humanity as being in need of welcome

Finally, lets think about the church as the place or the agent of welcome

Well be doing more detailed work on this in future weeks as well as in the

groups

The idea of the church as a community of welcome or hospitality is a very

helpful and provocative image, highlighting as it does the importance ofthe life that we share together.

The church, should not only be a signpost to God, but also as an

expression of His life and love. Consequently, a visit to the church should

provide people with a foretaste or sampler of the life of the Kingdom of

God or heaven

Quote Stephen Neill from Stott CC p.237

Quote John Stott from One People p.


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Conclusion

The Course prayer

Heavenly Father, you have welcomed us into your kingdom and your hearts desireis to draw every human being to yourself.

Grant us clear eyes to see people as you see them, sensitive feet to stand in theirshoes, and warm smiles to welcome them in your name.

Give us such generous hearts, that our church becomes a foretaste of heaven whereevery soul you send us finds their loving home in the community of your Son our

Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen

everybody welcome - isaiah 55

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