I'm On A Boat // Earl McClellan

i'm on a boat i'm on a boat that is the title of today's message that's the title of today's message glad everyone is here to that's welcome everybody's watching online as well we're thrilled to have each and every one of you with us I'm so excited about what God has on the horizon for us as a church family today a couple of weeks ago we had vision Sunday if you weren't here let me get you up to speed I gave the church family a picture or a snapshot of where we were last year and where I feel God is taking us this year and there was a word that I felt God whispered to my heart for our church family for 2019 and that was this one word mobilize mobilize here's what the word means once again it means to prepare and organize troops for active service means to organize and encourage people to act in a concerted way to bring about a particular objective to marshal for action ready for action movement means to assemble and make ready for war we are not a church that will be a spectator church we are a church on mission to make it on earth as it is in heaven and God is taking us somewhere and since he has brought you to be a part of this family he has a plan for your story intertwining with not just our story here but more importantly his story because really at the end of the day Jesus is the star and we're all just supporting cast members in his play and I am honored to be on this journey and I'm honored that you are here so again I wanted to give a reminder that we as a church family there's gonna be a positive peer pressure here to keep on growing to become who God has called you to be I do not want one of us in this church the same at the end of 2019 I want to see us more like Jesus loving people better serving bigger having died to more of ourselves and living more in line with the cause and the purpose of Jesus Christ I cannot wait to see what's on the horizon for all of us together but but as we're talking about iliza I have some truths that I want to make sure we we pour into the fabric of our church if you have your Bibles hook with me and Luke chapter 15 Luke chapter 15 we're gonna begin reading in verse verse number one it says now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus but the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered this man welcomes sinners and eats with them let me just pause there for just a second do you see who Jesus is hanging out with he is with the tax collectors and the sinners now some of us think well what's up with the IRS agents being there why why is it a problem to have tax collectors there well well in in Christ's day these tax collectors these individuals are men they were hated by the Jews why the Roman government was during this time oppressing the the children of Israel the people of Israel and these tax collectors they would they were lining their pockets with the money of the people these were usually Jewish people that works for the Roman government and they were going into their Jewish community saying hey your taxes are let's say $200 and when it was actually 100 and they take 100 give that to Rome and they take the other hundred and put it in their pocket and all the Jews knew this was happening Rome even knew this was happening but nobody cared except the Jews they were being ridiculed they were being robbed by their own people so they could not stand these tax collectors then it says sinners who are sinners you can look to your left in to your right if you want to know who that is you can also look forward as well sinners individuals that have missed the mark people that have fallen and messed up I just am grateful that were not in some squeaky-clean church we are people that have been through some stuff and and the grace of God has picked this up I love that Jesus is around these people I love that Jesus is around people that feel like maybe I'm too far gone I've messed up too many times I'm too deep into this pit I did not know I was going to be in this but I found myself in this as a matter of fact I feel like I'm living a double life I'm one person on Sunday but I'm somebody totally different throughout the rest of the week and I don't even want to be that person but I keep wondering is God going to send some lightning bolt my way is he somehow out to get me but will we discover from this is Jesus is actually he actually moves towards individuals that feel like they're broken he moves towards people that feel like their loss he moves towards people that might not even know that they're lost but he loves you anyway and will speak truth and hope and life and grace even into your dark situation this is the God that we serve he's sitting with tax collectors and sinners and the Pharisees that church people the pastors religious leaders are like oh they're murmuring what's he doing hanging out what doesn't he know she's divorced doesn't he know that he's battling pornography doesn't he know that he's a liar doesn't he know that nobody in the community respects him or her doesn't he know doesn't he know their murmuring murmuring not saying it out loud maybe they use it in the form of a prayer request like church people like to do so you can be praying let me share this gossip the murmuring murmuring murmuring murmuring Jesus hears their murmuring or perceives their murmuring and begins to share this in verse number three look at this then Jesus told them this parable suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them doesn't he leave the ninety-nine in the open country go after the lost sheep until he finds it and when he finds it he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says rejoice with me I have found my lost sheep I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent your savior is painting a very very clear picture which of you if you lost your cell phone would not stop everything you have going on and find your cell phone all of us have fallen trapped to this you've been late for meetings late for work late for church late for all types of things because you lost your phone this happens to us almost every day when we leave the house we are pulling out of our driveway into my wife was like Earl I can't find my phone can you go look for it I'm like yes I'm a good husband I'm gonna serve my wife I'm gonna lay my life down for her I'm not frustrated this one but before this has never happened to us so I go into the house with a great attitude every single time not true and I go in and I'm looking for the phone I'm looking I'm looking I'm looking I'm looking I'm looking I'm looking looking and then I cannot find it anywhere I'm grabbing pillows I'm going looking in the laundry and in the dishwasher I'm looking in the dryer I'm going everywhere I possibly can to try to find this phone I can't find it anywhere I'm looking under kids beds I get back to the car oh honey I'm so sorry look so hard and then she just pulls it slowly-slowly I'm so sorry honey I I'm so sorry doesn't matter honey because they did not move me at all I was happy to go and look around for that phone for the 498 time but honestly you know that feeling of losing something that insignificant think if your farmer in Christ day this farmer having a hundred sheep would have been about a normal sized farmer and he's counting his sheep at night making sure everyone is accounted for and he is missing one this farmer does not say this Shepherd does not say this owner does not say I don't care about that one I've got 99 as a matter of fact this Shepherd this farmer this owner says I've got to get up from where I am and I got to go out there I gotta find the one that belongs to me I will look under every rock and cranny I will go to the four corners of the world if I need to define who belongs to me and it is a picture of who Jesus is and even who Jesus has called his church to be to be the ones that will leave the ninety-nine and go after the one to find the one that is lost in a 19-12 there was an accident that took place and it was when the Titanic sank this ship was massive okay it was the best of the best state-of-the-art no one thought this ship would ever sink but an iceberg came into contact with that ship and we all know who lost that battle here's a quick aside no matter how big and awesome your life might be it just takes one iceberg it just takes one iceberg to remind you you're not as invincible as you think you are it takes one doctor's report it takes one boy one boyfriend or girlfriend leaving you or cheating on you it takes one spouse wanting to divorce you it takes one school rejecting you it takes one friend stabbing you in the back before you realize oh my goodness I actually have feelings I am not invincible at all and my ship is sinking here all around me well the interesting thing about the Titanic well there's a bunch of interesting things but one of the things that's very very interesting is there were rescue boat connected to the Titanic a problem is there weren't enough of them for the number of people who are on the ship they were thinking this ship could never sink and there weren't a whole lot of regulations at the time to make sure every single ship would have the right amount of rescue boats so they sent this ship out on its maiden voyage and when it begins to go down and people begin to get in the boats the captain can do the math rather quickly there are more people than we have boats people are about to die they send out a distress signal a couple of other boats end up turning around and they end up sending some of their rescue boats towards all the wreckage there are people in the water some screaming some treading water maybe thinking I'm just gonna be here forever I can I can do this for a long time not realizing that it's gonna be hours upon hours upon hours until any rescue boats are on their way and all this wreckage and all these lives that all these people in the water I was thinking want to connect this with our word mobilize for the year I want to make this abundantly clear for our church family I want to paint a very very clear picture of who we are as a church whose shoreline city is a part of our DNA I need you to understand this that we are not a cruise ship we are a rescue boat and these are two very different things I have not been on a cruise yet my mom loves cruises okay but I have not gone on a cruise I just not interested in being in the middle of the water just you know getting sick and paying for it so I don't want to do that but I've heard they're fantastic I've heard if you want to watch a magician one night you can watch a magician but if you don't care for magicians hey and you want to go when you want to play poker you can go over here and play poker but maybe like no I'm not doing car I like to dance and you want to go over here and do salsa or Samba or maybe like no I can't dance it all all I want to do is sit by the pool or order pina coladas and chips and guacamole and I want someone coming to me at my beck and call you can do that some cruise ships what I understand you can even give them your children like for the whole day like here take them and you don't have to see them for the whole day but you don't have to feel guilty because you know they're close enough by you but you don't have to watch them come on parents you know what I'm talking about and they will bring back your children at night and your children are so tired you just get to put them to bed kiss them on the forehead feel like yes I am a good parent because I kissed you though I did not want to be around you all day today at all I've heard on a cruise ship you have more food than you can even possibly imagine you can eat and eat and eat and if you don't like something the chef will change up what he is making to your order I have heard I mean at your very fingertips is anything that you would want at any time and many people are thinking this is what the church is Church I like this entertainment over here but if I'm not really feeling that I want this entertainment over here and I want someone to curate sermons for me and don't talk about sin at all that makes me uncomfortable I just would like for you to say things that make me feel good about myself don't challenge me to grow mind your business bald man I am interested in doing my own thing when I want to do my own thing thinking that you can curate the church to be what you want it to be the reality is this is not a cruise ship and we are not entertainers we are the Church of Jesus Christ called to be his hands and his feet and we are a rescue boat going towards the wreckage of our world saying sons and daughters are in the water we are here to see you saved we are here to pull you up out of that water that's not where God wants you all the days of your life we are here on mission so uh yeah you can tell I'm excited excited there's a feel not a feel I know there is no plan B Jesus died rose again and then said Church go and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit teach them all to obey everything I have commanded Rama to be with you always to the very end of the age but I'm not asking you to stay I'm asking you to go get in that rescue boat don't run from the wreckage go towards it don't run from the screaming run towards it well they're dirty and they're the sinners and I don't know I might get wet hey you were in the water one time - do not forget that God pulls you up out of that water so I've got I got some principles from the boat okay I got some principles those of you who like notes I've got points today okay I don't always have points but I've got some principles from the boat that you could you get to jot down you can write these things down here here's the first one here's the first one is the first first principle straddling two boats will cause the splits votes a church this boats a church some of us we like to be one foot here and one foot here now I'm on a platform right now this is a level ground whenever you are in life life is not level ground it's a whole lot more like anybody with me on that how in the world do you have the footing that you need to pull people out of the water the way you need to pull people out of the water when your foundation is not strong yourself I am so glad we have people that visit our church a week in and week out I love having you here but I also hear sometimes people say things like oh yeah I like to come here and I like to go there and I just want to let you know I do not think that is best for you this is the picture that I had when I was preparing this sermon that you need to go where God has called you and if he's called you here then put both feet in the boat and if he's called you there then put both feet in the boat listen to a podcast but stop playing going back and forth and back and forth because you're just going to split your life I got some more like I said Laura that's the morgue another point another point okay no takers no you're welcome no takers are you all in are you all in maybe there was a day you can remember you were like you're like in the boat yeah my boat excited but if you're honest with yourself right now you got like one leg it's playing with the water feels good feels okay this it this is your what your spiritual life looks like right now I'm not I'm not judging you I have no stones to throw at you matter of fact I have not mentioned anyone's name so if you're getting offended like right now like you don't know my situation I'm probably talking to you but it's not me it's the Holy Spirit that's trying to grab a hold of your heart saying son daughter what are you doing with your foot in the water get your behind back in that boat because you are here to pull people out of the water not play with the water you are here on a rescue mission okay what if what if you're in the boat you're in a boat in the boat you're angry arms crossed frustrated music is so loud I've been no two words all these songs all the time I'm trying to sing try to follow along but I can't follow along all the time so many people here I'm sitting right butt to butt cheek next to people mister just want some space right now what how come on leading that team why don't why don't I have me singing yet how come I got to go through growth track something wrong with the Bible College in the boat in the boat but offended frustrated arms crossed you lost sight of the reason you're in the boat in the first place this boat is not about you this boat is about him and rescuing the people that are in the water and you're here complaining about stuff while there's drowning people all around you get over yourself for just a little while and remember why God puts you on this planet oh it's a prayer I want you to pray it's a prayer simple prayer simple prayer simple prayer is the prayer I want you to pray God give me your heart for your kids simple simple prayer but a powerful one nonetheless God give me your heart for your kids I want to be married you can pray for your spouse I encourage you to do that need a new job you want a promotion you want to get your business off the ground I encourage you to pray for that too I encourage you to pray for healing and the bodies of family members or even in your own body I encourage you to pray for any situation that might be going on in your world but at the same time I want to remind you don't just pray prayers that are about you pray prayers we're asking for God's heart to be poured into your heart so you can love his kids the way he wants you to for a second - I just want to celebrate and say thank you so much to those folks that are in the boat and you got an oar in hand and you have not forgotten what this thing is about I just want to say thank you I just want to say thank you to the people who are like hey I'm not making this about me yeah it could have gotten offended but what would that do to help anything I am here on mission to be the hands and feet of Jesus thank you everyone that comes early stays late keeps on praying and not just here on Sunday thank you for those of you understand when you go to school on Monday or you go to work on Monday that that's your mission field you're headed to some wreckage as well you are there to be the hands and feet of Jesus thank you so much just as a quick aside - I don't I don't need people to serve because we need help oh that's not why we have people serve we have people serve so that we can keep on killing our selfishness we have people serve so that we can keep remembering that our lives are not about us so that we can be this can be an act of worship and what this is doing the whole time it's actually strengthening you so that you have the strength you need to pull people out of the water when they need to come out of the water because if you just live a life that's about yourself when it comes time to pull somebody out of the water you have not worked your muscles enough yet because everything has been centered on you but when you serve when you give when you pour when you love even when it hurts it's God building up on the inside of you the strength you need for the reason that he puts you here on this planet okay I got another one I got another one I got another one no boat competition no boat competition here's one church and here's another church and I am tired of churches yelling at each other arguing with each other bickering with each other tearing down each other trying to one-up each other friends this is not a boat competition we are about pulling people out of the water that's why God has put us here we at Shoreline City are not in competition with any other church in our community or in our world we are on the same team headed the same direction trying to see the sons and daughters of God pulled out of the water that's why we celebrate every time a church grows every time a church is planted because this is not about our kingdom it's about his kingdom no boat competition I love this I love this now here is the thing if shoreline cities about another church it's a boat when another boat comes to the community what sense does it make for this boat to talk to people in that boat and tell them leave your boat come to my boat I already got a boat I'm in a boat I got an oar why are you talking to me it's easier it's easier than getting in the water you just come over here but the bible does not say there is rejoicing in heaven over ninety-nine people going from boat to boat to boat to boat the Bible says is rejoicing in heaven when one person is pulled out of the water and is put in a place where they can be formed into the image of Christ so we I celebrate I celebrate I need to do a better job of telling you guys this but because you're so generous we're able to be so generous as a church you guys are helping last year you helped plant like 80 churches all around the world that's what you guys sent rescue boats into communities all over the world I met with a guy a couple of months ago he was coming here to Dallas he wanted to sit with me starting his church in Uptown and he wanted to get with me and go hey would you guys do and I just want to learn from you and I was sitting there with him and I heard that they had a gap in their money and the money they were trying to raise I was like hey we can help with that gap our church is so generous we're all about the kingdom we're so glad you're here we'll help fill that gap he was like what are you seeing us I'm like yeah this is the this is God's city we're so excited our boat just seen Ocean City's boat it's not big enough do you get everyone that's in the water we actually need some other boats to come into the community so I'm so excited that he's here I'm like yes man we got your back I'm going Gateway was that they used to be out like in South Lake and then they came from the Holy Land and they came here to Dallas and I'm so glad that they came why because we need more boats the in the water were all more people to be rescued out of the water hurt Hillsong coming to Dallas I heard this other guy that's in McKinney's cookie he'd sent me email the other day he's like hey I'm coming down here the Dallas started Church on my desk we are with you we are for you we have your back pocket of money we're praying because there's no boat competition when you get here though remember if we're over here working you keep on working but grab the people that are in the water and put them in the boat because we are about the people that are in the water we're not about the people that are already in a boat this is not good for somebody else it's good for us I need my friends who I who never supposed to be up here to come up here my friends who know this supposed to be up here to come up here to me like oh this is my chance this is my chance I knew he was gonna call me I knew he's gonna call me today today's a day no no it's not your moment as you have these people are getting getting in the boat we we here we here trying to go and pull people out of the water see we have had something that we've been praying for man we've been praying we've been friendly working been working we've been giving husband fasting we're crying out to God God please God please make a way because we have we have two campuses that we've been trying to get off the ground but we haven't be able to find a place to meet yet for a bishop arts location and for a North Dallas location but I'm happy to announce to you today that we have found locations for both our Bishop arts campus and for our North Dallas campus we are able to send these boats into the water and rescue people out of the water I am so fired up about this man I'm so excited I'm so excited when we send when we send this team to bishop arts and when we send this team to North Dallas we're not sending them there to go get people that are in other boats we're sending them there to go get people that are in the water people people that maybe there was a day they were fully in the boat but life hit him used to be a pastor used to be leading man overboard yes my wife just said we're sending Bishop ours there's North Dallas out there it's not a team out there to go get every every single every single one of them and if somebody comes from another church you say hell we love you so much hey you can stay planted at your church that's bad that's good for you ok that's really really good for you we love your church even never heard of it we love it it's the best Church ever because we're after people that are in the water this bishop hearts whit yep mr. Barts yeah mr. Barnes over here you guys look beautiful today actually you you're awesome this bishop arts team we're actually be starting a Sunday night service in Bishop arts so really really excited about this so those of you like man I've been looking forward night service you got one you can go to Bishop arts we're gonna be meeting at a place called chimes it's a like a hotel like wedding venue really really fun cool alive I'm so excited about this we'll be meeting there on Sunday nights I'm we're probably gonna start that one next week I mean we're just like going boom you ready team yes North Dallas over here we actually our North that was Bible study tonight as a quick aside but this would be our last Bible said it because in March we're going to send this whole boat out there and start meeting weekly but this will be on Sunday mornings in North Dallas so we're meeting at a place called The Sandman hotel which is right there near the Shops at Legacy we're really really excited about this meeting on Sunday morning sending this team out let me let me say this too let me say this some of you have like that itch like news them look at new challenge you like get your fingernails dirty hey come on join one of these teams whoo good luck we'd absolutely love to have you if you're like man I kind of want to know everybody who's on the team and know everybody who's who's in the church this is perfect now don't come there with a small mindset they'll come with a mindset or us four and no more I just want those who are in the boat and nobody else is in the boat no wrong mindset I need you going there knowing the team bringing unity bringing strength but then understanding you're there to pull people out of the water that is why you are there I love to have you join the team now don't everybody try to leave White Rock though okay because we got plenty of people in the water here every single week hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of them what part now calling you to play want you to play it I'm gonna ask you to do me a favor right now if you wouldn't mind stretch your hands towards the bishop art scene towards there's a North Dallas team I stretch your hands cuz we're family sending people out we're going out as well even if we're saying that white rock or at our tigre campus we're going out as well full backing full unity as we go to pull people out of the water let's pray together father thank you so much but this bishop arts team thank you God so much for this North Dallas team thank you God that your hand is on their lives for such a time as this thank you that you're working in their hearts in them in their souls and I pray O God in the mighty name of Jesus Christ that there would be a fresh fire fresh fish and fresh life that will be poured out on every single one of them I ask for unity to be on these teams I come against division and dissension and frustration and I pray Lord God for a spirit of humility and also God for us to have a kingdom mindset and all that we say and all that we do would you give us your heart for your people I pray father God that there would be a revival that would take place in Bishop bar say to be a revival that would take place in North Dallas but father also praying that in the White Rock ear we're praying that father God in Antigua and we're praying that for every single rescue boat that you're calling us to send our Father we will be your hands and your feet in our generation doing what you Ollis to do going where you called us to go we think you that no weapon formed against us is able to prosper that we will kick down the gates of hell and we Lord God will see heaven invade earth in the mighty name of Jesus Christ we pray all of these things blessings got not just even on our church but on the big sea church let every church be a prevailing Church and rescuing and pulling people out of the water in Jesus name we pray amen in a man can we clap our hands today church family I'm so excited about the future hey thank you guys so much y'all did a great job you all did a great job hey we're just about done just about done I'm in a boat I'm on mission everyday you wake up you're on assignment you're an assignment I thought I'm just going to work no you're on assignment but I thought I was just a student no you're on assignment I thought I was just a stay-at-home mom no you're on assignment I thought I was just a businesswoman know you're an assignment I thought I was just you know a owner of this plumbing company no you're on assignment and not wait to see what God is going to do yeah I gotta shut this party down but my my last my last story I'll be finished is I remember a couple of years ago our middle son Grayson his second day of kindergarten supposed to come home on the bus my wife and I were at home waiting for him and he was not on the bus our older son Parker got off of the bus came to us panic mom dad Grayson is not on the bus I raced out stop the bus walked up and down the aisle looking at every kid looking under the seats try to try to see if my son was there he was nowhere to be found get off the bus at elliniko we jump in the car we don't know where we're going cuz we have no idea where he is we just start calling the school headed towards the school trying to figure out what the heck happened some ten minutes go by we discover that Grayson was put on the wrong bus brought to the wrong neighborhood on the other side of town dropped off in that neighborhood they said all we found him that would bring him to you I said no you will not you keep that bus right there and we are going to him and we got there our son jumped into our arms this is the picture of the church God has lost sons and daughters they got on the wrong bus they're in the wrong neighborhood and you and I are the ones that leave where we are with our oars as quickly as we possibly can driving to the loss of the hurdy saying hey come on home that's our mandate as a church family we've been called to mobilize to make it on earth as it is in heaven if you wouldn't mind Church family by your heads for just a moment by your heads for just a moment if you're under the sound of my voice today you've never given your heart and your life to Christ you've never made him number one you've never made them first you're honest with yourself right now you would say you're in charge of your life Jesus is not put another way you remember there was a day you were in the boat but you've gone overboard in the water right now you just need to come home you need to come home maybe you've never surrendered your life to Jesus but this is the moment since the grace of God knocking on your heart saying son daughter it's time to come home if that's you here you've never given your heart to Christ or at one point in time you didn't you slipped away today you're ready to give your heart and your life over to Jesus I'm going to ask you to do something simple but something incredibly bold on the count of three I really want you to shoot your hand in the air and say yes that is me I want to give my heart I want to give my life to Jesus Christ ready 1 2 3 just shoot your hand in the air you're saying yes that's me I want to give my heart my life to Christ we have friends putting their hands up all over this place it's a moment of transformation in a moment of a new start a new beginning sins being forgiven going from darkness to light going from lost to found going from dead to alive this is a moment mask everyone in this place to do me a favor every person put your hand over your heart if you would not mind I'm gonna ask you to repeat this prayer out loud after me I want you to say dear Jesus I ask you to forgive me of all my sins I admit I made mistakes and today I give you my heart I give you my life give me the power to live for you in Jesus name Amen a name and I so sorry heads up and clap our hands with enthusiasm for every friend and family member of ours

Channel: Shoreline City Church

Views: 1,881

Rating: 5 out of 5

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Id: mVaEth762j4

Length: 40min 3sec (2403 seconds)

Published: Sun Feb 17 2019