Dave Ferguson - Casey Combined Churches Service

Dave Ferguson is the pastor from Chicago that the Hammonds will be working with. He visited Australia recently and we heard him speak at the Casey Combined Churches service, where the Hammonds were commissioned for their US endeavour. Here’s what I took away from his message.

Studies have shown that Christians are no more likely to help the homeless, than non-Christians. Christians are just as likely to divorce as non-Christians and in over 150 categories of morality, there are also no differences between Christians and non-Christians.

A survey of 18-30 year olds found that they see Christians as being anti-homosexual and generally judgemental.

Dave has quit calling himself a Christian. Christian as defined by today’s society is categorically NOT projecting what he is about.

In Mark 1:17, the first thing that Jesus said to Peter and Andrew was, “Come, follow me.” As far as Dave is concerned, Christian doesn’t mean anything, he is now a Christ follower.

He showed us a video “I’m a Christ follower” which plays on the Mac and PC ads. You can watch it on You Tube. Turns out there is a whole series of them - check them out, they’re very good.

As a result of deciding to be a Christ follower instead of a Christian, you may make different key choices.

• Are we going to live our lives on the edge, or in the safe centre? (as best we could, or as best as God leads us).

Dave told us the stories of three people - Kirsten who moved to a poor community and helped bring about significant change, Troy who began a new church and did the same and Jordan a 17 year old, who started a program to feed the poor in the third world.

• Choose between going and staying. Christ followers are on the go, engaged in the community, going where the Spirit is at work. 1 Peter 2:9 - You are priests to deliver the goodness of God to others.

One of Dave’s team felt called to start a new church in a distant city - 35 people from the church felt the same and went with him, uprooting themselves from all that they had and knew.

When the Holy Spirit calls - Go!

• Choose between the lost and the found. Jesus came to seek and save the lost.

Jesus talks about things that are valuable. If something is considered lost, then its because it has value and you search for it desperately. You don’t go looking for things that have no value.

Its down to choice and a brand new determination.

What’s it going to be for you?

Michelle