People Care!

 Christ the King Sunday!

Intro.

A.   Today is Christ the King Sunday.

 

B.   It is the last Sunday in the Christian year.  Next Sunday, is the 1^st Sunday of Advent which begins the new Christian year.

 

C.   The Christian year makes a cycle through the life of Christ, beginning with the Advent or coming of Christ into the world and ending with Christ reigning now and forever.

 

D.   In our scripture for today, Christ the King sets up the perimeters by which we will be judged to enter His Kingdom.

 

Trans:   Today, I want to talk to you about "People Care:" my term for a plan that Christ the King instituted, whereby we will be judged and thereby we should live.

 

Prayer

Matt. 25:31-46

I.   Definition of "People Care."

A.   It is a plan of ministry in which the needs of people are the main objective.

 

B.   It is very evident in this scripture how important the needs of people are to Christ!

 

II.  Why do we need to talk about "People Care?"

 

A.   So we won't get our priorities mixed up and forget people!  An example of this would be the story of the good Samaritan!(Luke 10:30-36) Don't Read!

1.   The priest and Levite got caught up in whatever they were doing and failed to meet a need!

2.   People have different needs:

a.   Spiritual - Christian or not!

I Peter 3:15 "Always be ready to give an

answer."

b.   Emotional – family problems!

c.   physical -  death or sickness!

d.   financial - And there are other ways to help other than giving them money!  Sometimes, these ways are more needed! 

AIt has been said, if you give someone a fish, you feed them for a day.  If you teach them to fish, you feed them for a lifetime.@

 

B.   It is so easy today to get to looking at statistics and figures and forget the people that those figures represent!

1.   Our attendance figures many times do us an injustice or give us a false security whichever the case may be.  We look at the attendance figures to see how our church did this week!

2.   Christ would judge by how many people we've cared for and helped this week!

 

 

III. We talk about APeople Care@ because it is directly related to the mission of our church: making disciples for Jesus Christ!  We make disciples because we care for people, not because we want to increase our numbers and not so the United Methodist Church will survive! All that we do should be because we care, especially for those on the outside:

 

A.   Outreach Campaigns, like our BBQ chicken dinner.

B.   Teaching & small groups: Methodist 101, Crafters ...

C.   Children’s Ministries, like the Children’s moment.

     D.   Adult ministries

E.   Nursing Home ministry, visiting and taking communion.

F.   Mission & Thrift Store: Free food shelf, free clothes to those in need and cheap clothes for all, Mozambique, Options, Heifer, etc.

G.   Letting our church be used for Community events and ministries!

 

IV.  Each one of us should adopt the "People Care" plan for our lives!

 

A.   Some of us are excluded from helping or doing some things because of money or talents!

 

B.   People are a resource that all of us have!

 

1.   We all touch people every day with our lives.

2.   God has seen to it that we all have a supply.

3.   Do we meet needs or help them as we touch their lives?  Not only on Sunday but every day of the week!

 

V.   If we all will adopt this plan of ministry where the needs of people are the main objective, we will begin to see some things happen.

 

A.   We will see more visitors in our church because some of us have reached out to them!

 

B.   We will see some of them making commitments to Jesus Christ!

 

C.   We as Christians will see our needs being met because someone else cared enough to notice we too had a need and ministered to that need!

 

D.   The end result?  Our Church will grow!  The Kingdom of God will grow!

 

VI.  This was the basis of Christ's ministry, caring for people

 and meeting their needs.

 

A.   He came to a world in need of salvation to meet that

need!

 

B.   In doing that, His was a life of meeting many needs:  physical, emotional, and spiritual.

 

C.   If we as Christians aren't duplicating that life with

our lives, it's time for a change!

 

D.   Christianity is a continual change! Continually being

changed through God’s Sanctifying Grace to become more

and more what God would have us be!  Being perfected

in love!

 

     E.   People Care is very much in keeping with the Methodist

way!

1.   Wesley formed small groups to get people to do

something with their faith!

          2.   Meeting the needs of people is doing something

with our faith!

          3.   How about you?

Conclusion:

A.   Christ the King sets the perimeters in this scripture by which we will be judged: our care for people. 

 

B.   That should be our motivation.  Are we motivated by our care for people?  We can be if we will tap into the source!  Christ can care through us!

 

C.   We just need to yield to Christ the King and let Christ reign in our lives today! 

 

D.   We can be saved from a purposeless life!  We can be saved from a useless existence!  In Christ, we can find a purpose for living; the Bible calls it the abundant life!

 

E.   Christ says here it includes caring for people.  As we encounter Christ at the table this morning, let's yield to Christ and let Christ bring this kind of life to light in us! Amen!

 

Prayer of Confession

Service of Communion

The Gratitude of Thanksgiving!

                                           Thanksgiving Sunday!

Introduction:

     A.   Thanksgiving Day is just about a week and a half away. Next

Sunday is Christ the King Sunday.  Today, I want to reflect

on Thanksgiving Day and what that is about.  It is a day

our country has set aside to stop, count our blessings,

and give thanks.

 

     B.   A little background on the 1st Thanksgiving:

          1.   1620 -    The Pilgrims left England on the                                Mayflower:  102 people.

                        "Speedwell" - a sister ship, after 2

                        tries returned back to England.

          2.   After sailing 3 months (a very hard and dangerous                journey), they landed in New England (Now                       Massachusetts) in Dec. 1620.

          3.   The first winter was a hard one, and many died!

          4.   After the first harvest of the New England                       colonists, in 1621, Governer Bradford made                      provisions for a day of thanksgiving and prayer.

          5.   In 1623, a day of fasting and prayer during a                    drought was turned into Thanksgiving when it began               to rain!

          6.   Since then it has developed into a custom that we                celebrate Thanksgiving annually.

 

     C.   Thanksgiving Day is a good holiday.  We ought to

          observe it and take it seriously!

 

 

     Trans:

          As we approach Thanksgiving and we prepare to express

          the "Gratitude of Thanksgiving," let's look this

          morning at Gratitude and see how it should be something

          that we express all year round!

 

                            Prayer

                         Luke 17:11-19

I.   Gratitude.

     A.   Ten lepers were healed, and only one showed gratitude!

 

     B.   Christ was pleased with the one who showed gratitude.            (vs. 19)

 

     C.   Websters def:

          Gratitude:     a feeling of thankful appreciation for                          favors or benefits received:  warm,                            appreciative response to kindness.

 

          It takes both!  Appreciation and Response.

 

          So there are two ways we can be lacking in expressing

          gratitude.

 

          1.   Some are thankful when they see good reason to be.               They just don't see many good reasons to be.  They               need to open their eyes!  They are failing on the               1st part:  appreciation.

 

 

          2.   Some feel truly thankful; it is just difficult for               them to express it.  These fail on the response!                 They also lack Gratitude!  The other lepers may

              have felt grateful, but they still failed to

              express it.

 

II.  In what areas do we need to show Gratitude?

     A.   We need to thank God for ourselves.

          1.   We are told to "Love others as we love ourselves."               We aren't to think of ourselves more highly than                 others, but we shouldn't belittle ourselves

              either!

          2.   We need to realize our self-worth.  We should be                 able to be thankful for who we are!

          3.   If I can't appreciate me, I'll probably not                      appreciate you either!

 

     B.   We need to be thankful for what we have or where we

          are!

 

          "In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God          in Christ Jesus concerning you."  (I Thess. 5:18)

 

          Paul said, "I have learned in whatever state I am,               therewith to be content."  (Phil. 4:11)

 

          1.   We need to be thankful for our country.

          2.   We need to be thankful for what God has given us!                We may not have the best house, but we should be                 thankful for the one we have!  We need to be thankful

for food!  We need to be thankful for gentle rains!

We need to be thankful for our means!  We need to be

thankful for our church and what we can see God doing

among us!  We need to be thankful for all that God

has given us!

 

     C.   We need to be thankful for Special People in our lives!          We need to not only thank God, but we need to express

          it to these people too!

 

          Examples: Mom, Dad, Brother, Sister, Husband, Wife,

                   teacher, preacher, maybe a young person

                   who has inspired us because of their

                   dedication!

 

     D.   We need to be thankful to God for God's work in our              lives!

          1.   We need to be thankful for Salvation!

          2.   We need to be thankful for God’s Previenient,

Justifying, and Sanctifying Grace that is at work in

our lives!

          3.   We need to be thankful for God's "working all

              things for our good."  God is good all the time!

          4.   Do we tell God thank you and show our thanks by

              our service to God?

 

Conclusion:

     A.   Again, we don't only need to feel thanks, but we need

          to show it.

 

     B.   Ingratitude is very prevalent today.  There's a lot of           grumbling people who feel the world owes them

          something!

 

     C.   But Christians are to be examples of what Christ wants

          us to be not what everyone else is doing!

 

     D.   The leper was an example of someone who showed

          gratitude.  Also, Paul was an example of gratitude; in

          his letters, he always said things like, "I thank

          my God for you."  He told the people;  he             

          didn't just feel gratitude.

 

     E.   What kind of example are we?  As we encounter Christ at

the table this morning, do we need to ask Christ

          to help us to be more grateful this morning?

 

                      Prayer of Confession

Service of Communion

 

 

 

Fishing for People!

                             Prayer

                  Matt. 4:18-22 & Luke 5:1-11

1st Movement:

 Although I was born on a farm and graduated from High School from a small town school in Northeast Arkansas, I grew up in the South County of St. Louis and small town and rural activities were pretty foreign to me!  We would go to rural areas and farms in Southeast Missouri and Northeast Arkansas to visit family members for vacations and weekend excursions.  During these trips to the country, my dad would sometimes take us on fishing trips with my uncles and other family members. 

 Usually these trips were to places that involved fishing from an old wooden county road bridge.  While that was a popular place to fish in those days, I imagine that was a choice place to take kids who didn=t know what they were doing.  As long as we got out of the way when a car came by, we were pretty safe!  I have fond memories of those fishing trips; I can remember my dad and uncles telling us just how to catch those fish.  We were shown how to put our minnows on the hook and then stomp it before we put it in the water!  We were shown how to put the worm on the hook so that the hook didn=t show, and  lastly and most importantly we were shown how to spit on our bait before we cast it into the water!  That was a sure way to catch fish!  Needless to say, we caught a few fish, but many times went by that we didn=t catch a thing!  I=m sure many of these techniques were just ways to keep us trying something new to keep us interested.  They were ways to help us have fun and the fellowship and memories are the most that we got out of those trips. I don’t still spit on my bait, by the way!

 2nd Movement: 

 Unlike us, Peter made his living fishing.  He had to know what he was doing!  He knew how to fish, but like us, he had one of those days that he hadn=t caught a thing (Luke 5:1-11).  They were already cleaning their nets and calling it a day when Jesus comes on the scene.  Jesus tells them to cast their nets on the other side.  Peter says, AWe have fished all day and have caught nothing, but if you say so, we will do it.@  Jesus insisted, so they did, and they caught so many fish that it was breaking their nets trying to pull them up!  Jesus invites them to, AFollow me and I will make you fishers of people!@ (Matt. 4:19)  What a charge!  What a mission statement! 

Let's look at this term "Fishers of people" a little bit.  These men had taken their job of catching fish very seriously; it was their livelihood.  Now, they would take very seriously fishing for people. 

It too became their life!  Isn't this a neat little term for the ministry of the Church?  Shouldn't our mission be that of "Fishers of People?"

 What else can a church become?  We can become just a social organization.  Where people just join like a club and never give

Christ much thought.  They may not come but once a year, but they belong to such and such church.  It is just real good for their social standing in the community to "belong" to a church.  We must hasten to say a word about social activities. There isn't anything wrong with social activities as a ministry of the church: Potluck Brunch, BBQ Chicken dinners, Christmas party for Thrift Store volunteers, Christmas part for the church, Building gyms or activity centers, Crafters for Christ, Gaming activities, or a Thrift Store.  These things are great to do in ministry to people, but let's not forget in whose name we are doing them!  When Christ stops being mentioned and the church stops being "Fishers of People," it becomes just another social organization, and its ministry as a church is dead!

What else can a church become?  We can become a Family Reunion.  Our first thought is probably, "well what's wrong with that; aren't we suppose to be the family of God?"  Many churches pride themselves in being one big family! We have made that statement here! There's nothing in a way wrong with that!  When the family of God comes together, there should be a closeness and love.  But there's one way a church must differ from a Family Reunion.  Imagine for just a minute that you are at a family reunion.  Everyone is visiting and having a good old time, remembering when and catching up on what's happened since they were last together.  Then the atmosphere changes!  Everything quiets down as heads turn and a strange car drives up!  The family steps out.  They are very friendly, and they try to mix and mingle with the people.  But people are whispering, "Who are they?"  "What are they doing here?"  See, These people are strangers, and at a family reunion, strangers are not welcome!  But in the Church, strangers had better be welcome, or we have forgotten our mission of being "Fishers of people!"

 One last thing a church can become is a History Class.  Being "Fishers of People" involves teaching.  That is a must!  But reduce our Sunday School Lessons, our sermons, and our Bible Studies to what happened back then and what they should have done differently and forget the "How does this apply to today?" and "Where do we need to change today?"  and the church has stopped being a church because it has lost its mission!  When our teaching stops meeting the needs of the people, we have stopped being "Fishers of People," and we have failed!

 3rd Movement:

 How can we become "Fishers of People?"  "Follow me, and I will make you fish for people."  (Vs. 19b) First, Jesus says, AFollow me.@  Follow the leading of Jesus.  How can we do that? 

 Prayer!  This is consequently the first step that Adam Hamilton, pastor of the Church of the Resurrection, gives for growth!  Pray for guidance.  Pray for ourselves.  Pray for the ministry of the church.  Pray for each other. Hamilton says every meeting at the COR starts with prayer! I try to do that here!

  Along with prayer, do what we can to follow the teachings of Jesus.  How can we do that?  Do what we can to know the Bible better: read it, study it, attend church and Bible studies.  And as a result, Jesus says, Aand   I will make you . . ."  Not maybe you can become!  This is positive!  If we will follow Jesus, Jesus will make us "Fishers of People."

 So as we close today, as we remember the words of Jesus, "Follow me, and I will make you fish for people," this becomes very personal.  We realize that our ability to become "Fishers of People" is really up to us!  He says, I will If you will! (pause)    Are we "Fishers for People?" (pause)         Why not?

As we encounter Christ at the table today, let’s yield to the Spirit that we can become Fishers of People!

                                                                 Prayer of Confession

Service of Communion

Our Life Is Not An Island!

 All Saint’s Sunday!

 

(1)  Focus statement:

 

     This sermon will reflect upon the deceased persons who have been influential in our spiritual formation and growth and will challenge us to run with perseverance the race that is set before us, living a life that will be an example to others whom we might influence.

 

(2)  Function Statement:

 

     Because of this sermon, the congregation will realize that Christianity came to us by the dedication of many who have gone on before and will commit to being a more positive influence to those in their circle of influence.   

                          Heb. 12:1-2

 

                            Prayer

 

1st movement

 

     I would like to read a letter from a person who has been very influential in my life.  The letter is not dated, but it is written on the same stationery as another one that I have dated in Mar. of 1969.  Based on the contents of the letter, I will say it was written in Dec. of 1968 or 1969.  This would be about 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 years before my grandmother passed away. I am reading it just like she wrote it!  Bless her heart, she probably never dreamed it would be read to a congregation 55 years after she passed!

  

     Hello Mikie, Stevie, and Dana.

 

          Well how is my little grandchildren by now?  Well as common I do hope.  Well old Santa is just around the corner, just weeks off now be good little boys and girl.  You can play your Christmas record now and hear old Santa call your name, guess I'll fix up my tree this week.  I like to look at it and it brings me good cheer and brightens up the Spirit, helps us to think of little baby Jesus' birthday and what He means to us.  A little baby Jesus lay in a manger, no place to lay his little head.  He came into the world to bring us happiness and loves us so dearly.  So now we show him by being good and celebrate the day in the love and always make him happy; that's the sweetest gift of all - we can and ever have.  Baby Jesus was a Christmas gift for the whole world as the angels sing Glory to God a Savior is born come and let us adorn him peace on earth and good will to men and away in the manger.  Little Lord Jesus in the manger no place to lay his little head, and when the shepards seen the bright star in the East they knew the promised Savior was borned and went to search for him in Bethlehem and him and his mother and his Joseph all cattle sheep chickens and lambs in the barn and the light they followed guided them to where he lay and they gave them gifts so see that's why the gifts come on Christmas. He was our sweetest gift from God.  His only begotten son is Jesus and we love him so we want to make him happy.  Some people goes out and does killing and other bad things fighting, using curs words that don't please the Lord breaks his heart.  So grandma is so glad her children loves little Jesus and won't do that.  When you all grow up, you will understand what it is all about, so go to church and learn about Jesus.  He loves little children and wants to make them happy.  See God is our maker.  He made us all and He sent His son Jesus as a baby down to love us and teach us how to love and live right, so that's He lived with all and preached and stayed with all teaching and preaching and some grew jealous and crucified him on the cross killed him Easter and he gave us the Bible to go by and read and churches to go to and preachers to preach and teach but Jesus is still with us in our hearts and in spirit.  Well we will learn more on him each and every day we live.  So all ways try to please Jesus at all times he knows every thing we do good or bad he is always with us in the spirit.  So now just to try to show you the meaning of Christmas be good and enjoy Christmas and come see grandma when you all can.                                          By By

 

Grandma didn't have much education, wasn't good at spelling or grammar,  and probably didn't know what a run-on sentence was.  Christ wasn’t crucified on Easter, but he arose on Easter!  I know she probably knew that, but I read it as she wrote it. She knew the love of God and took every opportunity to tell of that love to her grandchildren or anyone else who would listen.  By this time in her life, grandpa had already gone on to be with the Lord and she lived alone.  Besides this, she was on crutches and couldn't leave the house by herself, but she still lived a very influential life.  I wasn't the little angel at this time in my life that it sounds like she thought I was , but I made a commitment to Christ and was baptized before grandma passed away, probably about a year after receiving this letter.  I can't help but think how influential this little lady was in that decision. 

 

2nd movement

     According to our scripture today, my grandmother, the others whose names we will read off this morning, and many others who have been influential in our lives and have gone on to be with the Lord are among that cloud of witnesses this morning.  I know that there is probably someone who has been very influential to us all and who, perhaps, has already gone on to be with the Lord.  You have heard my story, but I want you to think of that person who has influenced you and something that they said or did that has made a positive difference in the life you're living now.  (Pause.)  They too are among that cloud of witnesses! 

     The writer of Hebrews says, "Therefore," because we have all of these people looking on, because they are still a part of the church but have only moved on to a different place of existence, don't let anything hold us back, but keep pressing on, living for Jesus, and living a life that can be a positive influence to others.  The comparison the writer of Hebrews uses here is like we are the ones who are in action now, and they are in the grandstands applauding and cheering us on.  So the point is, because we have this crowd of witnesses, we need to give it our best effort.  But the writer of Hebrews also exhorts us to keep our eyes on Jesus, the one who makes living for God possible, the one who endured the cross, and the one who is now at the right hand of God, making intercession for us.  Because Jesus is there, we can live for God, we can give it our best effort, and we can be a positive influence on those whom we leave behind and to those whom we share life with today!

 

3rd movement

     Today is All Saints Day.  We are reminded of all those who have been a positive influence to us for Christ, but it shouldn't stop there.  It has been said that we are not an island to ourselves, meaning that we all touch other people's lives.  No matter what stage of life we find ourselves in, there is someone whom we can influence and there is someone whom we are influencing with our lives today. My grandmother was a shut-in, but she wrote letters; she still reached out with a witness, not unlike Paul in prison writing letters. Our world needs some positive loving witnesses for Christ today.  It has seen enough of the negative, hypocritical, judgmental side of Christianity!  Let's make sure that our influence is one that will influence people in a positive way with the love of God in Jesus Christ.  It's possible because of what God has done and is doing through Christ. 

As we encounter Christ at the table this morning, let’s commit and determine to run the race with patience, steadfastness, grace, and love so that we can be influential in bringing others to know Christ!  As you come, after you have received communion, you are invited to light a candle in memory of the Saints who have been influential in your life, especially those you have named this morning!  Then, you are invited to go forth and be influential in taking the gospel to others! May the words of Paul from our May the words of Paul from our 1^st reading be true of us today, II Thess. 1:1-4 & 11-12 (read again). Thanks be to God!

Prayer of Confession!

Service of Communion