Download St. Michael`s Church Charleston, sc Sunday May 1, 2016 Annual

St. Michael’s Church
CHARLESTON, SC
SUNDAY MAY 1, 2016
ANNUAL MEETING FESTIVAL OF FAITH
1 TIMOTHY 4:6-16
LUKE 6:27-31
PREACHER: THE REV. AL ZADIG, JR.
HELP US LORD TO BE SO CONNECTED TO YOU THAT WE MIGHT BECOME THE SERVANTS OF OTHERS.
TAKE OUR LIPS AND SPEAK THROUGH THEM,
OUR MINDS AND THINK THROUGH THEM,
AND TAKE OUR HEARTS, AND SET THEM ON FIRE.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
What do you think of when I say the word…blockbuster?
If you’re of a certain age you think of something ancient called:
THE VIDEO TAPE.
From 1985 to 2013
Blockbuster was THE place to get videos, but 3 years ago, Blockbuster vanished, why?
People wanted more than the top blockbusting movie hits.
John Dickerson in his book the Great Evangelical Recession explains this
phenomenon..
He writes:
Picture a medieval dragon, big head-AND long tail.
Viewed from its side, the head and neck are about the same size as the mass of the
powerful long tail.
Think about Blockbusters demise this way:
The head representing those videos that were blockbusters…
The tail representing all the videos that were beyond their prime or just never made it.
Dickerson continues:
Each One Serve One
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There is more money in the combined volume of all the
non-hits
in the long tail
than the big hit WONDERS
in the head.
This is why


Net Flix
And Amazon
Put Blockbuster out of business!
They sold it all!
+++++
How does this relate to Jesus?
In many ways, the church depended on big blockbusters like Billy Graham crusades to
grow.
But that model doesn’t work as well anymore, why?
It ignores God’s plan to use All his people.
79% of people when asked:
Why did you go to church the first time?
Replied:
A friend, a relative brought me.
That’s the vision of the SPIRITUAL long tail:
Each oneReach one.
Meaning, there is more blessing in the combined volume of every one of the 2.2 billion
Christians around the world today reaching one…
Than a big blockbuster event.

2.2 billion Christians, reaching just one
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
doubles our growth to 4.4 billion!

600 of you worship here on a Sunday..

if each of you reached just one,

our Sunday attendance would double to 1200!
Longtail=each one..reach one!
Meaning, every follower of Jesus re-learning what it means to share the Good News with
those they live, work and play!
While we theologically disagree with Mormons, this is what they do!
Each one reach one!
++++++++++++++
I loved how in our confirmation I Like Mike Class yesterday one of our new members
said..
I’m so worried about a newly married couple we know.
Hmm, I’m going to host a party for them and invite them all to Alpha!
Jesus came down from heaven to reach every soul…one by one-That not one would be
lost.
It’s why Peter in his letter writes:
Every believer must be prepared to give an answer for the faith they have.

Yes it means inviting another

Yes it means living by example

It also means Be prepared
To give an answer for the hope in here!
Each One Reach One is beautifully seen in the relationship between Paul and Timothy
from today’s reading.
The Care that Paul takes to give Timothy such practical mentorship!
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On this Festival of Faith/Annual Meeting day where we reflect on our previous year…
It was A year ago your vestry, staff and those who went to Kanuga had this teaching on
the importance of the Long Tail each one reach one.
For that purpose we adopted a discipleship tool box..
Where every Sunday was given a discipleship theme.
Those themes and readings were then used for
 every sermon
 and many of the teachings during the week
We even turned it into a curriculum as an option for life groups and youth groups!

Equipping you to be the one!

Equipping you to lead

Equipping Each one of YOU to reach one where YOU live, work and play.
Every Christian is a leader why?
Because everything we do teaches someone something about Jesus.
So why is it so hard?
Today we take it deeper.
During this 50 day season of Easter, and to prepare for next week’s conference on
Restoration,
Today
how the resurrection restores this each one reach one leadership.
Jesus nails it in the first verse of our Gospel.
First word…LOVE.
Love even your enemies.
To reach another,
it only works if we love them first.
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Love your enemies….

Bless those who curse you

Pray for those who abuse you..
That’s servant leadership!
Servant leadership
 Does not come naturally for anyone of us

It also means that love is not a feeling or emotion but an act of your will,

Your will that has been transformed by Jesus Christ.
A will that believes:
No matter what that person does to me:
I will never allow myself to desire anything but their highest blessing.
That’s Resurrection Restored Leadership!
Jesus loving humanity so much he becomes a servant, dies on the cross so that we might
be free.
Author Sid Roth defined this kind of servant leadership by writing:
True servanthood can only be attained by the follower of Jesus
who seeks no power of his own,
who himself is
a brother among brothers
a sister among sisters,
submitted to the authority of God.
So, in this restoration,
“Each one reach one” is tweaked ever so slightly to:
+++++++
Each one
LOVE one
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Each one
SERVE one.
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We have to love one before we reach one.
But there is one huge obstacle:
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Something has to happen before you love first.
In John’s first letter chapter 4, he writes:
We love, because Jesus first loved us.
Loving, reaching, others first requires:
Knowing you are FIRST
loved by Jesus.
I know that sounds sentimental and saccharin but I’ve learned as a priest
Not all people believe they are loved by Jesus!
I’m here to tell you:

You are loved unconditionally

You are the beloved of Jesus

Jesus knows everything about you and still loves you.
Do you really believe this?
The only reason you can:





love anyone
reach anyone
lead anyone
serve anyone
is because God first:
o loved
o reached
o led
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o and served you!
He proved it in sending His Son Jesus to die for you.

When you feel that unconditional love:

You’re going to cut others more slack.

You’re not going to be as angry as you’ve been in the past.

You’re going to be more:

patient.

Forgiving

merciful.

You’re going to show other people grace.
The reason why you see people who are 1st:






Judgmental
1ST Sarcastic
1st Cynical
1ST Angry
1ST self righteous
is
because They don’t feel loved & forgiven.

You can’t give to others what you haven’t received yourself.

Unlovely people in here…
o are unloved people.

Hurt people hurt people.

You have to learn how much God loves you


and let it heal your heart
So his love can flow through you.
+++++++++++
But there is one more must..
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You must also know You are loved by the bride of Jesus, His church!
If there is any doubt you are loved by Jesus and this church of St. Michael’s:




Young
Old
Married
and single..
Please know today:

you are loved

The myth in every church that is so tired, but often told against Rectors is:
o they only care about mission,
o they only love the young people
Speaking for this Rector..
Everyone of you is loved!
Yes in 8 years….




92 weddings
250 Baptisms
73 funerals…
350 sermons
I am often busier than a funeral fan in July
But let that never confuse you, you are loved!

You are loved by
o Jesus,
o his bride the church
o and me as your shepherd.
If this isn’t believed, your spiritual leadership will be stunted and frustrated.
It’s one of the reasons I give each of you a Lenten prayer cardasking you to tell me how you’re doing,
your joys and sorrows so I can pray individually for you!
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I can’t read minds!
You won’t be able to reach the one unless
you receive the unconditional love from there and here that Jesus died to give you!
Each:
 Vestry member
 Vestry candidate
 Staff member
 Life group
 leader
 member
 Each parishioner,
Living Servant leadership
Each one love one.
What destroys leadership at any level is entitlement.
Jesus didn’t come to be served, but to serve.
In doing so he reached the corners of the earth.
And lived the vision of the Longtail.
At our annual meeting you will see a video where this long tail has been lived out in the
hearts of people.
Transforming Hearts through Jesus means first receiving the love of Jesus and his bride
the church
and giving that love away.
++++++
Let me end with a vision of what this looks like.
This past week, parishioner Jack Herrmann lived the long tail.
He wrote me a personal letter with many encouragements,
as well as vestry and staff ideas that could make us an even stronger parish…
Jack sat down and wrote out his heart.
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That led to several wonderful conversations.
And guess what!
God’s timing is so good!
Those ideas have been implemented into our annual meeting today!
But something even more important is happening here..
Out of that servant leadership,

Jack knows he’s loved


and out of that love
he’s even more EQUIPPED AND CHARGED TO:



Reach one:
Serve One
And Love One
in the world----Because
Jesus and His Bride…
FIRST loved him.
RECEIVE THAT LOVE NOW. Amen.
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