Reflections on "Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places" Luke 15: 11-32

The sermon struck a chord with several people given the feedback I received after worship.  As I preached the sermon, I really felt the disconnect between how I view church as a person who has grown up in the church and how people who have not grown up in the church view church.  We also had several visitors in both services, and I wondered how they heard the sermon, particularly when I described why people visit and join.  Were those assertions true?  Or did they come across as condescending comments from someone who does not have a clue what is happening in their lives?

I think I could have preached a whole sermon on how we in the church struggle to connect with those people outside of the church. But, it was probably more productive to focus on the relational aspects of sharing our stories with others.  I continue to find myself ending up at the place where the best we can do is tell our story of how God has impacted us, and then wait and see if others want to come and experience part of that.

“Looking for Love in all The Wrong Places” April 3, 2011; FPC, Unbinding your Heart Series

Introduction: Unbinding Your Heart – two question: Why did you visit this church the first time you visited? Why did you join this church?

Move 1: People join because something is missing in their lives.

a. #1 reason new members join because “something missing in their lives.”

1. not because they liked the music.
2. Not because the sanctuary was beautiful.
3. Not because they liked the minister.
4. Not because it is the closest to home.
5. All those might be helpful, but the bottom line is that people want to be a part of the church because something is missing from their lives and they are looking for someone or someplace to find what is missing.

b. Methodist Bishop William Willimon notes that many churches think their membership committee could do a better job of recruiting members than God could. His wife notes that if members were well-balanced, they would have better things to do than come to church. Willimon, Evangelism interview, United Theological Seminary, Fall 2009

1. Laughed while he said it, but the point was well taken.
2. We arrive at a church because we need something.
3. Often, we are in a time of transition – new baby; just moved to town; death of a spouse or loved one; crisis at the job;
4. Life is not complete – so we are looking for something.
   d. Prodigal son – left home to find something better.
   1. Took his money and left.
   2. Spent it on dissolute living. Not sure what that means exactly, but I suspect it was not something we want our children to do!
   3. maybe you know that sense of chasing.

e. Reminded me of the song Waylon Jennings sang years ago when I was still going to dances about people

I was looking for love in all the wrong places
Looking for love in too many faces
Searching your eyes, looking for traces
Of what.. I'm dreaming of... Waylon Jennings

Move 2: We have this gift to share with others.

a. The gift we have to share with others.

1. God.
2. Forgiveness.

3. Unconditional love.
4. A community of people who seek to live out that forgiveness and unconditional love.
   b. Prodigal son

1. Goes to lots of different places.
2. Where does he end up?
3. At the place where he finds unconditional love.
4. Place where he finds God.

c. A place we call church.

Move 3: People with something missing; a gift to share; help people find that gift.

a. People need help getting to that place.

1. Builds on the relational aspects of God we reflected on last week.

2. Connecting with people

b. Most people visit a church because they have received a personal invitation

1. story of person who prayed for God to show him who needed a church.
2. All the marketing and evangelism tools are not as powerful as a personal invitation.

100. Inviting, not giving an answer.
     1. Stories about kids in other churches.
     2. Never come back with a great story about what your daughter's church believes.
     3. Never come in to brag about the sound doctrine of your son's church
     4. Tell me stories about how your daughter had a crisis and the church supported her in this way.

5. Your son's church identified a need in the community and began a ministry.

100. Proverb “A bird does not sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.
     1. You have a story to tell.
     2. You live a world where people need, where people want to hear that story.

Conclusion: Today we have a visible reminder of that story of God's unconditional love. As you come to the Table to be renewed and connected, consider those people you know who need to come to this Table as well.