Hyde Park
A Brief Outline of the Sermon:
What is the Spirit-empowered Mission to a Hurting World?
Acts 2:1,8 “They were all with one accord in one place…And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born?”
Reflect, share and pray:
Where do you work? Who are the people unfamiliar in those spaces? Ethnic groups? People of different world views? Different sexual orientations?
How are they experiencing God’s peace through you presently? What are your next steps?
How can we as a Spirit-indwelled church body participate in Spirit-empowered Mission to a Hurting World?
- Displace Yourself Into the Unfamiliar. “And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. 3 Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.” Identify your Samarias, the places around you where you might feel uncomfortable.
- Vulnerably Bring Peace: What keeps us from vulnerably bringing peace?
- Look for the people God has already prepared: Referral, Reputation, Receptivity, Reciprocation
- Bring the kingdom of God near to them. What would it look like to bring God’s peace in that space? What would Jesus do in that space?
Invitations:
- Consider subscribing to my monthly newsletters. This newsletter described how God ushered me into the unfamiliar LGBTQ space:
- Consider spending more time investing in the application along with others in your church body. I am running “Reframe” cohorts, to reframe how we see God, ourselves, and each other. This 6 weeks cohort expands what I’ve laid down here in just 30 minutes, and that is to help us step outside our comfort zones and determine how we can better embody the Good News and God’s Peace in faith-stretching settings. I can work with John and other church leaders to offer this within your church. The 1st paragraph of this newsletter describes this cohort.
- Consider subscribing to my blog. I drew from this recent one for this sermon. A blog post about Pentecost and how the Spirit creates joining
- I drew the Luke 10 portion from a chapter I wrote for the upcoming book tentatively titled “Honor-Shame and the Gospel” on William Carey publishers. Find that here.
Thank you again Hyde Park Church for the honor of spending the morning with you. Here’s a little background on me and my work.
Kingdom Rice equips Christian leaders to deeply understand how their own family and cultural story fits into God’s Story in a way that will shape how they lead others to love and live amongst their neighbors. Read more on our website: kingdomrice.org
Steve Hong was born and raised in SF. A former engineer, missionary, and pastor, he founded and directs Kingdom Rice. Steve is a missionary in SF reaching people who would never step foot in a church, and equips others to do the same in seminaries, mission organizations, and churches. Steve is married to Cathy and they have a 14-year old son.
Steve can be reached at steve.hong@kingdomrice.org.