Prayer
Luke
10:30-37 & Matt. 25:40
Introduction:
A. Overview of series thus far:
Radical
Hospitality, Passionate Worship,
and
Intentional Faith Development;
Some
won=t
be involved in small group Bible Studies: some will
develop their faith during worship
etc., others will find their place in
Mission and Service, which is the goal of discipleship and faith development
anyway!
B. Some service will be more risk-taking than
others. Leading a Bible Study among
Christians is not too risk-taking, but it is needed. It comes more under the faith-building we talked
about last week.
C. We are going to be talking about a particular
kind of service today: “Risk-Taking Mission and Service.”
I. A look at the Scripture:
A. The
Story of the Good Samaritan.
B. The
Priest and the Levite walked around obvious suffering, ignoring it or denying
it, and went on their merry way.
C. As
Christians, we can=t do that:
II. AVibrant,
fruitful, growing congregations practice Risk-Taking Mission and Service. Risk-Taking Mission and Service
includes the projects, the efforts, and work people do to make a positive
difference in the lives of others for the purposes of Christ, whether or not they will ever be part of
the community of faith.@
A. Some
will be in service in the church among those who are already in the church such
as teaching etc., which is a necessary service but is not what this practice is
talking about. It is more what the Intentional Faith Development is about.
B. Risk-Taking
Mission and Service is talking about things like:
1. VIM
teams to Porta Rico or Texas for Hurricane relief.
2. Allowing
our church to be used for service ministries in the community.
3. Thrift
Store
4. Working
on people’s homes in the community.
5. Gideon=s
International, Heifer International, or Options.
6. Helping
immigrant families at the border!
7. Our
benevolence fund where we help people with gas, and etc.
8. Cutting
firewood for people.
9. Some
of these are more Risk-Taking than others, but this is talking about the ways
we get our hands dirty serving those outside the church, whether or not they
ever come into the church. It is the way
we are Jesus’ hands and feet to show God’s love in our world and community.
C. Churches
should be permission-giving instead of approval-seeking!
1. Let’s
say Tom has an idea of having a yard sale on the church property to raise money
for buying devotionals for prisoners in the local prison.
2. He
goes to the pastor with his idea. The
pastor says, “You’ll have to check with the Trustees to see if it is okay to
have a yard sale on the church property.”
They won’t meet until next month.
3. Next
month, Tom goes to the Trustee meeting to ask them about having the yard
sale. They tell him they will have to do
some research about insurance and etc. and get back to him next month.
4. The
next month, they tell him there are no insurance problems, but now he will have
to take his request to the mission team to make sure his request is in line
with the mission of the church. Next
month he does that.
5. They
approve it, but they say he will have to take his idea to the Church Council
next month for final approval.
6. He
finally gets permission, but now it is December and too cold for a yard sale
this year.
7. You
get the idea. We need to be structured
so that when people have a heart for mission and a plan they can be released to
do so.
A.
Instead, the plan should be developed by those
who have a heart for it.
B.
ANot
everyone has the spiritual gifts, the personal temperament, or the physical
stamina to step beyond the edge of ordinary service.@
1.
That is okay!
In the body of Christ there are many members, and we do not all have the
same function.
2.
But the church should be permission giving and
supportive of those who do have a heart for the ministry.
3.
Lyle Schaller was quoted as saying, when it
comes to initiating new ministries, Awe should
only count the yes votes.@ If there are people wanting to do it, we
should turn them loose to serve.
a. This isn’t to say we should say yes to every
idea that someone has that they think someone should do!
b. This isn’t to say we should pass the offering
plate for every idea someone has.
c. This is saying, if someone is wanting to do a
ministry, we should be open to them doing it.
d. If they have a plan, are willing to implement
it, and have a way to fund it, we should say go for it without all the red
tape!
III. Churches should be supportive of those who do
Risk-Taking Mission and Service.
A. That
is how we can all be a part of it.
B. We
can be supportive by being permission giving.
C. We
can also be supportive by helping fund it.
VIM teams. We could help with expense. Some who have a heart for this may not
actually be able to afford the expense.
Thrift Store. We can fund with donations even if we aren’t
there personally! We can support the
free food shelf by bringing food!
You can be a part of all
the ministries of our church by our faithful giving to support the church!
IV. Random thoughts about helping others.
A.
When you can help through an organization that helps the homeless
and supplies food that has a good
track record, such as our own
United Methodist Committee on relief
etc.
1.
Springfield has signs up encouraging people to give money to
charitable organizations rather
than pan handlers.
2.
They know sometimes money is abused that is given to pan
handlers.
B.
Unless you know the people personally, don’t give money to them
directly. Sometimes they will give you a story, and
when you give
them money, they will use it for
something else. There is biblical
support for this. Notice the good
Samaritan gave the money to the
Inn Keeper!
1.
If they are asking for help with utilities, pay it to utility
company for them.
2.
If they are asking for gas to take kids to the doctor, meet
them at the station and put gas
in their car. I have had people
tell me this, meet them at the
station, and find their tank
was full!
3.
If you want to help a pan handler on the street, prepare a bag
of food etc. to hand to
them. Have it in your car just in case.
C.
This truly is risk taking work! I
really want to be a Matt.
25 person!
1.
But I have learned there are people who don’t care about the
church other than as an easy way
to get a hand out.
2.
There is a network out there so that if you help one, others
come with the same story that
worked.
3.
I have learned that if I take all the precautions I can to make
sure I am being a good steward of
God’s money and they still
abuse it, it is on them. They will have to account for that. I only
have to account for that I did what I could!
4.
I have also learned that there are more ways than money to help.
Sometimes we need to look for
those.
5.
I have also learned that sometimes I may not be able to do what
they ask. Maybe I can refer them
to something or someone else.
Our money only goes so far!
D.
But Fruitful congregations in some way are involved in Risk Taking
Mission, in doing something with
their faith, in reaching out
beyond themselves and helping others!
1.
It isn’t just about taking care of ourselves.
2.
It is messy work, but we are called to do it.
Conclusion:
AVibrant,
fruitful, growing congregations practice Risk-Taking Mission and Service.@
Are you being called to
serve?
Are you being called to be
permission giving?
Are you being called to
support in some other way?
As we encounter Christ at
the table this morning, let us say yes to whatever we are being called to do!
Prayer of Confession
Service of Communion
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