The Jesus Way - Pastor Jon Stoe

In this message, Lead Pastor Jon Stoe launches a new series called “The Jesus Way” and invites you to rediscover what it really meant to follow Jesus in the first century. He begins with the constant tension between Jesus and the religious leaders and shows that they did not see Him as “Judaism 2.0” but as a threat to everything they valued. Jesus did not come as an upgrade to something old. He came to introduce something brand new that would reach every nation, tribe, and tongue.   Walking through John’s declaration, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world,” and Jesus’ conversation with His disciples at Caesarea Philippi, Pastor Jon unpacks the moment Jesus said, “I will build my church.” He explains the original word ekklesia as a gathering of called out people on the move, not a religious building or temple. The early believers were known as “the Way,” a Spirit filled movement that could not be contained by any facility and that carried the message of Jesus far beyond the borders of Israel.   This sermon also faces into our current reality. Pastor Jon contrasts the passion of believers who risk much just to gather with the growing number of “nones” and empty churches in America. He asks why the church has become so resistible when Jesus was not and calls listeners to let go of outdated ways that keep us stuck. This is an invitation to see yourself as a key player in the movement Jesus started and to embrace the Jesus Way as a living, active way of life in the world today.