Power to Help Others!

 Series:  Power to Live! 

Prayer

Introduction:

A.   John Wesley, the man considered to be the founder of Methodism, didn=t really have any theological problems with the Anglican Church (Church of England), so he never left the Anglican Church.  He died an Anglican Priest.

 

          1.   Here is a clip I use for Methodist 101; it is a little

              longer than I usually use for a sermon clip, but it gives a good overview of the beginnings of Methodism with John Wesley.

 

     2.   Watch this clip:

          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_Oe-RThZeE&list=PLyljBYrZY8J5YM0X0jUQyANZSH3CAtZ0X&index=1

 

B.   Wesley was troubled by what he saw the church doing with their faith; his problem was with the church’s practice of faith.

 

     C.   For this reason, Wesley began to go outside the church walls

          and started class meetings where he held the members accountable for what they were doing with their faith.  He would ask them questions like, are you visiting the sick, are you visiting the prisons, are you giving to the poor?  Etc.

 

     D.   He began to do field preaching (out on the mission field, like on the streets and in the workplace, rather than out in the middle of a corn field) rather than preaching in the church           building to reach the people who were not being reached by the church.

 

Trans.

How does this affect who we are as a church today?  Wesley was

very involved in helping ministries!  I think our scripture

for today gives us scriptural support for that.  Listen as we

see how Jesus gives us the APower to Help Others.@

 

Read John 9: 1-12

 

I.   Let=s look at the scripture:

A.   Jesus and his disciples are walking along.  The disciples ask him, ADid this man sin or his parents that he was born this way?@

 

B.   You see back then there was a common misconception that when you were sick it was because of your sins or your parents.  We have that same misconception today.

1.   Jesus answers neither!

2.   He wasn=t sick because of his sin.

3.   Sometimes, we just get sick.

     4.   We aren=t always sheltered from this, even as Christians!

     5.   Just because someone has fallen upon hard times it

          doesn’t mean they have it coming to them because of their

          sin or what they have done.  Sometimes it is, but we

          can’t make that assumption.

 

C.   Jesus isn=t even asked by the man (I think this is significant), but he takes dust mixed with saliva to make mud to put on his eyes.

1.   He tells him to wash, and when he does, he is healed.

1.      Jesus helped even when he wasn=t asked to, because it was the thing to do!

 

I.      What does this scripture say to us today?

A.   First, I am sure that Jesus helps us many times when we don=t ask.  We should probably realize that and be thankful as we talked about last week.

 

B.   Second, we shouldn=t always have to be asked to help.  We should be looking for ways that we can help others!  There are needs all around us.

     1.   Young people who need an opportunity to socialize in a wholesome environment.

2.   Young people who need guidance.

3.   Senior adults who are lonely and need someone to care.

4.   Young couples who are struggling with how to raise their kids.

5.   People who don=t know where their next meal will come from.

6.   People who don=t know God!

7.   Maybe we aren’t equipped to meet all these needs, but for some we might just be the ones who need to act.

8.   Our Wesleyan heritage calls us to look around at the needs we see and act in ways we can!

 

      C.   So we need to ask how we can meet those needs.

           1.  Sometimes, the answer may be in starting new ministries.

              a.   John Wesley started small groups to hold people

                   accountable to do something with their faith.

              b.   These small groups later became Methodist societies

                   and later in America the Methodist Church!

              c.   Starting new ministries is very Wesleyan!

 2.  Other times, the answer may be in supporting ministries that are already started.

     a.   Support the Thrift Store! That at one time was a new

          ministry!

b.   Support the missions we support as a church: Mozambique, Heifer International, Options, and Gideons to name a few.

 

c.   Support our food ministries to help people in need, such as the free food shelf.

d.   Support our efforts to provide meals and transportation for those of our church who need it.

 

I.      It is the Christian thing to do, but we don=t have to do it alone.

A.   Jesus gives us the power to help others. Don=t try to go it alone. Because of the resurrection, we are empowered to help others and to make a difference! Christ is there to help us!    

B.   Pray! Seek God’s leading in prayer!

 

C.   Seek God in Bible Study!

 

D.   When you have your answer to what you can do, tap into the power to Help Others.

 

Conclusion:

A.   John Wesley understood an important principle about faith.

 

     “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.”

                                                John Wesley

 

B.   Faith should move us to practice. It should move us to do something! 

 

C.   Has your faith moved you to helping others, to putting your faith into practice?  If not, come to the one who can give you the power to do that! Amen!

 

 

Prayer of Confession

Service of Communion