Sunday, October 01, 2006
Beyond the Building: How a Ministry Can Impact the Community
Introduction:
Sometimes in church ministry we get hung up on things like attendance, and who attends, and who doesn’t show up, and we forget the big picture of what God has called us to do. The church building itself is just a building – God has called us to minister to our community, not just the people who show up at the building. We’ve got to keep an eye on the big picture of ministry, and enlarge our vision. The real work of ministry, the real essence of our calling, is what goes on beyond the building. Yes, we definitely should gather together here to get equipped and to get encouraged and to use our gifts to keep the local church strong – but remember that we are serving a larger community, not just who shows up. Ministry is not limited by time and place – we’ve got to expand our vision. Most of our life takes place outside the church walls. (Instead of lamenting that we “only” have 10 people in attendance at church, view it from the perspective that we have 10 people getting equipped to go out this week and touch hundreds for God). Every day, every moment, every interaction is a ministry opportunity. Just because a person does not attend our services or Bible Study does not mean we’re off the hook from being called to serve them. We’ve just got to get more creative with them, and perhaps take ministry TO them instead of waiting for them to show up and come to us. Sometimes our definition of ministry is too narrow – we think we have to get someone to come to one of our church events in order for God to touch their life through us, but that’s not true! God’s ability to touch lives through us is not restricted to 122 E. Escalon – He can do it anytime, anyplace, anywhere. We’ve got to get busy obeying His Word and touching lives for Him with a broader perspective in mind, beyond the church building! We are called to be a blessing in the lives of others, not limited to a certain time and place. This morning we are going to look at 5 specific biblical things we can do to actively be the “salt and light” that God has called us to be in the lives of others and in our community at large.
1) SPREAD THE GOSPEL
(Read Mark 16:15-16)
He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”
Our first priority and responsibility -- the most important and eternally valuable thing we can do to minister to other and impact our community -- is to spread the gospel. Compared to that, nothing else really matters so much. If we don’t do this, then we’ve missed it – we’ve missed the whole point of our mission here on earth. What a shame it would be if we spent all our time on the physical, tangible things, and overlooked the spiritual. Before Jesus went to Heaven, He gave us the Great Commission, which we just read. It is our job to spread the gospel to our brothers and sisters, to set them free from the bondage of sin and help them find true joy, peace, and meaning in life. If we are standing there with the keys to eternal life and don’t share them with our brother, then how can we say we truly care about him. This is an urgent matter of life and death – our brothers and sisters will be lost if we don’t take the initiative to spread the gospel to them. God placed each person near you, in your life and in your path, for a reason. You don’t have to be a theologian to spread the gospel effectively – just speak from the heart and tell others your own experiences of what God has done in your life.
2) RESTORE THOSE WHO HAVE FALLEN
(Read James 5:19-20)
My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.
Another important aspect of ministry is to keep an eye out for our brothers and sisters who have fallen by the wayside – to have compassion for the casualties of spiritual warfare. After our brother or sister receives salvation and becomes a Christian, our responsibility is not over – in fact, in many ways it has just begun, since we are called to provide them with ongoing support and accountability. We must be on the alert to help lovingly guide them back to God when he strays away (which inevitably happens from time to time). We need to be there to help restore our brothers and sisters in their walks with God when they backslide. The scriptures make it clear that this is very important. We all fall down from time to time, and sometimes a person needs that extra encouragement and accountability – that extra helping hand – to get back up. We need to care enough to speak the truth in love to our brothers and sisters and help them take the necessary steps to get back in line with God and His Word. We need to hold up the truthful mirror of the Word of God, to help our brothers and sisters honestly examine their lives and get things straight. We need to be humble and non-judgmental as we do this – and to remember that we have been in that same position ourselves in times past (and thank goodness someone had been there for us!). Don’t ever let someone just drift away from God – let’s help fight the spiritual battle, since there is a soul at stake. (Don’t let Satan come in OUR house and snatch away a family member…)
(Read Galatians 6:1)
Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.
We find a few more key insights in this passage from Galatians of how to help restore someone. Do it gently, and also be careful not to get caught up in the same sin as we are helping them escape from. Stay humble, because pride can lead to our downfall if we think we are immune to temptation.
3) SHARE JOYS AND BURDENS
(Read Galatians 6:2)
Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
(Read Romans 12:15)
Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.
What great advice for touching lives and impacting others in the community on a daily basis, beyond what goes on in the church building on Sundays and Wednesdays. By sharing someone’s joys and burdens, we will be a true friend and a genuine support and encouragement in someone’s life. We must rejoice with those who rejoice, and mourn with those who mourn (put aside petty jealousy and competitiveness). This reminds me of the old Chinese proverb which says: “A good friend multiplies the joys and divides the sorrows.” The good times in life are even better when you have a true friend to share it with, and life’s burdens are a little lighter when someone is walking alongside you helping you carry your load. Whose burdens can you help carry today, and whose joys can you help multiply? To answer that question, you must take time to know what’s going on in the lives of people around you (communicate on a non-superficial level!). Constantly think of ways to share joys and burdens – I’m sure you know someone who is hurting or rejoicing today (there are plenty of opportunities). Yes, it IS your business, because God has called you to be your brother’s keeper.
4) LOOK FOR NEW WAYS TO DO GOOD
(Read Galatians 6:9-10)
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
This passage shows us another great way to make meaningful connections with people, that God can use for His glory. These verses reinforce the idea that ALL PEOPLE are our brothers and sisters (though there is a special emphasis here on our fellow believers), and that God is instructing us to do good to them at every opportunity. We should constantly look for new and meaningful ways to do good things for our fellow man. Go the extra mile, be creative, do the unexpected. The Bible also teaches us to do good in secret – don’t do it in a showy way to get earthly credit; do it behind the scenes (don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing) and you will be storing up treasures in heaven.
I don’t know about you, but personally I find verse 9 to be especially encouraging. Verse 9 encourages us not to give up or get discouraged by what we see, because there WILL be a harvest someday, regardless of what it looks like right now. All those things you are doing are indeed making a difference, and we need to hear that from time to time. Don’t just do something good for somebody once and then get tired if you don’t see the results in their life that you were hoping to see. Even if church attendance doesn’t go up as a result, you are still making an eternal difference in the Kingdom of God. Remember that some people plant the seeds, and others water the seeds, but ultimately it is God who brings the increase – on His timetable, so keep serving patiently and don’t give up.
5) BE QUICK TO FORGIVE
(Read Matthew 18:21-22)
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”
In life and in your relationships, there are inevitably going to be bumps in the road – times when your emotions rise up and you get mad at people. Thus, to keep caring enough about people to serve them, we are going to have to be willing to forgive. Forgiveness is essential to healthy relationships. Just like how God has unconditionally and repeatedly forgiven us, we should pass along that same type of forgiveness to our brothers and sisters. Forgiveness builds relationships and builds unity, instead of tearing people apart. Nothing hurts unity and communication like grudges, festering deep on the inside. We need to follow God’s example and love unconditionally – be slow to get angry and quick to forgive. In the big picture, the relationship with your brother (and with God, because He said He won’t forgive us if we don’t forgive our brother) is way more important than your pride having got hurt by whatever your brother had done to you. Vengeance belongs to God anyway. Satan knows he can get us to stop having compassion for people and to stop serving people, if he can get us to be bitter, angry, and resentful towards them. Don’t fall into that trap! Forgiveness gets peoples’ attention because it is so rare and unexpected in our society. It shows them a model of what God’s love is like, and it makes a great witness and helps build God’s kingdom.
Conclusion:
In closing, I want to encourage you to be faithful in your calling to serve others, no matter what. It is your way of saying thank-you to God. Your faithfulness, through thick and thin, is your way of thanking God for allowing you the privilege of being used. Even if you get discouraged, tired, impatient, or disappointed – don’t give up, because God is using you to make a difference. You are here on this earth to do something important in the lives of others, that God designed you to do.
It is time for us to move to that next step of God’s vision by living putting these Biblical principles into action! I pray that God convicted you today of some specific ways that you can reach out to others – not only in this ministry or in this church building, but with your friends, your enemies, your family, and even the people you just happen to meet out in the world. Think of what amazing things God can do through our lives and through this ministry if we all committed to living this way and putting others first. It may sound hard, but remember that with God all things are possible – He would never ask us to do anything that He did not enable us to do by His power. So let’s examine ourselves this morning, and truly strive to be “doers of God’s Word”! There is a community out there in need of God’s love and God’s touch, and we are His servants called to do the job and make an eternal difference. We’ve got to get busy letting people know that we care, so that they can see God and experience His love through us! We must expand our vision “beyond the building” – we are here to impact the community, not just the people who show up at our church activities.
Sometimes in church ministry we get hung up on things like attendance, and who attends, and who doesn’t show up, and we forget the big picture of what God has called us to do. The church building itself is just a building – God has called us to minister to our community, not just the people who show up at the building. We’ve got to keep an eye on the big picture of ministry, and enlarge our vision. The real work of ministry, the real essence of our calling, is what goes on beyond the building. Yes, we definitely should gather together here to get equipped and to get encouraged and to use our gifts to keep the local church strong – but remember that we are serving a larger community, not just who shows up. Ministry is not limited by time and place – we’ve got to expand our vision. Most of our life takes place outside the church walls. (Instead of lamenting that we “only” have 10 people in attendance at church, view it from the perspective that we have 10 people getting equipped to go out this week and touch hundreds for God). Every day, every moment, every interaction is a ministry opportunity. Just because a person does not attend our services or Bible Study does not mean we’re off the hook from being called to serve them. We’ve just got to get more creative with them, and perhaps take ministry TO them instead of waiting for them to show up and come to us. Sometimes our definition of ministry is too narrow – we think we have to get someone to come to one of our church events in order for God to touch their life through us, but that’s not true! God’s ability to touch lives through us is not restricted to 122 E. Escalon – He can do it anytime, anyplace, anywhere. We’ve got to get busy obeying His Word and touching lives for Him with a broader perspective in mind, beyond the church building! We are called to be a blessing in the lives of others, not limited to a certain time and place. This morning we are going to look at 5 specific biblical things we can do to actively be the “salt and light” that God has called us to be in the lives of others and in our community at large.
1) SPREAD THE GOSPEL
(Read Mark 16:15-16)
He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”
Our first priority and responsibility -- the most important and eternally valuable thing we can do to minister to other and impact our community -- is to spread the gospel. Compared to that, nothing else really matters so much. If we don’t do this, then we’ve missed it – we’ve missed the whole point of our mission here on earth. What a shame it would be if we spent all our time on the physical, tangible things, and overlooked the spiritual. Before Jesus went to Heaven, He gave us the Great Commission, which we just read. It is our job to spread the gospel to our brothers and sisters, to set them free from the bondage of sin and help them find true joy, peace, and meaning in life. If we are standing there with the keys to eternal life and don’t share them with our brother, then how can we say we truly care about him. This is an urgent matter of life and death – our brothers and sisters will be lost if we don’t take the initiative to spread the gospel to them. God placed each person near you, in your life and in your path, for a reason. You don’t have to be a theologian to spread the gospel effectively – just speak from the heart and tell others your own experiences of what God has done in your life.
2) RESTORE THOSE WHO HAVE FALLEN
(Read James 5:19-20)
My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.
Another important aspect of ministry is to keep an eye out for our brothers and sisters who have fallen by the wayside – to have compassion for the casualties of spiritual warfare. After our brother or sister receives salvation and becomes a Christian, our responsibility is not over – in fact, in many ways it has just begun, since we are called to provide them with ongoing support and accountability. We must be on the alert to help lovingly guide them back to God when he strays away (which inevitably happens from time to time). We need to be there to help restore our brothers and sisters in their walks with God when they backslide. The scriptures make it clear that this is very important. We all fall down from time to time, and sometimes a person needs that extra encouragement and accountability – that extra helping hand – to get back up. We need to care enough to speak the truth in love to our brothers and sisters and help them take the necessary steps to get back in line with God and His Word. We need to hold up the truthful mirror of the Word of God, to help our brothers and sisters honestly examine their lives and get things straight. We need to be humble and non-judgmental as we do this – and to remember that we have been in that same position ourselves in times past (and thank goodness someone had been there for us!). Don’t ever let someone just drift away from God – let’s help fight the spiritual battle, since there is a soul at stake. (Don’t let Satan come in OUR house and snatch away a family member…)
(Read Galatians 6:1)
Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.
We find a few more key insights in this passage from Galatians of how to help restore someone. Do it gently, and also be careful not to get caught up in the same sin as we are helping them escape from. Stay humble, because pride can lead to our downfall if we think we are immune to temptation.
3) SHARE JOYS AND BURDENS
(Read Galatians 6:2)
Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
(Read Romans 12:15)
Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.
What great advice for touching lives and impacting others in the community on a daily basis, beyond what goes on in the church building on Sundays and Wednesdays. By sharing someone’s joys and burdens, we will be a true friend and a genuine support and encouragement in someone’s life. We must rejoice with those who rejoice, and mourn with those who mourn (put aside petty jealousy and competitiveness). This reminds me of the old Chinese proverb which says: “A good friend multiplies the joys and divides the sorrows.” The good times in life are even better when you have a true friend to share it with, and life’s burdens are a little lighter when someone is walking alongside you helping you carry your load. Whose burdens can you help carry today, and whose joys can you help multiply? To answer that question, you must take time to know what’s going on in the lives of people around you (communicate on a non-superficial level!). Constantly think of ways to share joys and burdens – I’m sure you know someone who is hurting or rejoicing today (there are plenty of opportunities). Yes, it IS your business, because God has called you to be your brother’s keeper.
4) LOOK FOR NEW WAYS TO DO GOOD
(Read Galatians 6:9-10)
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
This passage shows us another great way to make meaningful connections with people, that God can use for His glory. These verses reinforce the idea that ALL PEOPLE are our brothers and sisters (though there is a special emphasis here on our fellow believers), and that God is instructing us to do good to them at every opportunity. We should constantly look for new and meaningful ways to do good things for our fellow man. Go the extra mile, be creative, do the unexpected. The Bible also teaches us to do good in secret – don’t do it in a showy way to get earthly credit; do it behind the scenes (don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing) and you will be storing up treasures in heaven.
I don’t know about you, but personally I find verse 9 to be especially encouraging. Verse 9 encourages us not to give up or get discouraged by what we see, because there WILL be a harvest someday, regardless of what it looks like right now. All those things you are doing are indeed making a difference, and we need to hear that from time to time. Don’t just do something good for somebody once and then get tired if you don’t see the results in their life that you were hoping to see. Even if church attendance doesn’t go up as a result, you are still making an eternal difference in the Kingdom of God. Remember that some people plant the seeds, and others water the seeds, but ultimately it is God who brings the increase – on His timetable, so keep serving patiently and don’t give up.
5) BE QUICK TO FORGIVE
(Read Matthew 18:21-22)
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”
In life and in your relationships, there are inevitably going to be bumps in the road – times when your emotions rise up and you get mad at people. Thus, to keep caring enough about people to serve them, we are going to have to be willing to forgive. Forgiveness is essential to healthy relationships. Just like how God has unconditionally and repeatedly forgiven us, we should pass along that same type of forgiveness to our brothers and sisters. Forgiveness builds relationships and builds unity, instead of tearing people apart. Nothing hurts unity and communication like grudges, festering deep on the inside. We need to follow God’s example and love unconditionally – be slow to get angry and quick to forgive. In the big picture, the relationship with your brother (and with God, because He said He won’t forgive us if we don’t forgive our brother) is way more important than your pride having got hurt by whatever your brother had done to you. Vengeance belongs to God anyway. Satan knows he can get us to stop having compassion for people and to stop serving people, if he can get us to be bitter, angry, and resentful towards them. Don’t fall into that trap! Forgiveness gets peoples’ attention because it is so rare and unexpected in our society. It shows them a model of what God’s love is like, and it makes a great witness and helps build God’s kingdom.
Conclusion:
In closing, I want to encourage you to be faithful in your calling to serve others, no matter what. It is your way of saying thank-you to God. Your faithfulness, through thick and thin, is your way of thanking God for allowing you the privilege of being used. Even if you get discouraged, tired, impatient, or disappointed – don’t give up, because God is using you to make a difference. You are here on this earth to do something important in the lives of others, that God designed you to do.
It is time for us to move to that next step of God’s vision by living putting these Biblical principles into action! I pray that God convicted you today of some specific ways that you can reach out to others – not only in this ministry or in this church building, but with your friends, your enemies, your family, and even the people you just happen to meet out in the world. Think of what amazing things God can do through our lives and through this ministry if we all committed to living this way and putting others first. It may sound hard, but remember that with God all things are possible – He would never ask us to do anything that He did not enable us to do by His power. So let’s examine ourselves this morning, and truly strive to be “doers of God’s Word”! There is a community out there in need of God’s love and God’s touch, and we are His servants called to do the job and make an eternal difference. We’ve got to get busy letting people know that we care, so that they can see God and experience His love through us! We must expand our vision “beyond the building” – we are here to impact the community, not just the people who show up at our church activities.
