Sermon- reach out- pt 3- helping other churches 7-26-09 Gal 6:1-10
Reach out series, part 3 – 1-helping others, 2-sharing your faith, 3-helping other churches
Seems like an odd topic……seldom discussed
Invitation to think spiritually
why wouldn’t churches help each other
Well funny you should ask, you never hear of scout troops dogging each other. Troop 255 is better than troop 1877
When you go to eat at Chili’s the server doesn’t tell you that the food at 54th street is terrible,
But churches and pastors can sometimes act like high schools….
we are the good ones, they are the bad ones.
Every town I have ever lived in, someone said
Our church is the biggest one in town….you stink
Vacation visit to grace umc……Robinson’s at grace umc
Friends, it should not be so- we are all on the same team- not competitors
In new testament times churches helped each other
they were independent, they were also interdependent as well.
none of the churches in the New Testament stood alone
they did not refuse to interact with one another.
But, they served and helped one another.
And they did this, not because they had some sort of control that they wanted, rather they did it because they loved other churches, and wanted to see the gospel flourish in another location.
Acts 1:8 describes the work of the Holy Spirit in the work of taking the gospel from Jerusalem to Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.
By the time acts is concluded, the church has spread all over the thn known world
In Acts 11 the Jerusalem church sent Barnabas off to Antioch. To help w a revival
Later in acts 11 Antioch sends money and support to help with a famine in Judea
In Acts 16 Paul meets -timothy was raised in Lystra and Derbe, but left those places, and ministered with Paul in many cities As these churches released this man, he became a help to many other churches.
In Phil 4 the Philippian church sends a gift for the traveling ministry to Paul thru their messenger Epaphroditus
Paul sent tychiucus to the ephesian and collossian church. He was also a helper to the ministry of Titus
Colossians 4:7, "As to all my affairs, Tychicus, our beloved brother and faithful servant and fellow bond-servant in the Lord, will bring you information."
Titus traveling with Paul and on behalf of Paul.
Titus visited Corinth (2 Cor. 12:18). He also spent some time in Dalmatia
Paul writes to Titus in chapter 1, verse 5, "For this reason I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city as I directed you."
In Romans 15 the churches of Macedonia and Achaia helping the needy in Jerusalem
Our scripture today asks us to do good to all men, but especially to those who are of the household of faith. Who is the household of faith today?
I want every church to grow, except those that are hurting others
Who is the family of faith-
Presbyterian, Lutherans, Greek and Russian orthodox, Amish, Mennonites, Methodist, Baptist, Disciples of Christ, Nondenominational, Catholic, reformed, Assemblies of God, Pentecostal, Holiness, Quaker,
How does your church currently care for others?
We are not bragging and can never do so.
. 3If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
Everything we learned we learned from others
Church of resurrection
Downtown Lees summit umc
Schweitzer in Springfield, lacroix in cape Girardeau, Kirkwood umc
How do we help other churches now?
We have done seminars
Independence, Peculiar, Wichita, Harrisonville, st. Joseph, st Louis, Jefferson city, Warrenton, Sedalia, Springfield
Some of the things that we cover in the presentations
Culture, organization, permission giving, values, missions statements, missions; outward focus, call based ministry, stewardship, dealing w conflict, discipleship
Classes coming up in a few months…..Going to go thru this ……
Helped financially
Mozambique
CVV
5% from fund- list them
Will have another fund like this in our next capital funds drive
Spent time with pastors and staff
Intern program for seminary students
District office coming here in June
Why is this important
We were a church plant –LS first umc
Do you remember where we came from? We need to give back
The conference gave us 405/260,000
Kingdom thinking
Not self thinking…I am not being fed, but how can I help???
What else can we do
Understand that you are in the mission field with all Christians in all churches
See other churches as our brothers and sister
Never speak ill of another congregation
Never try to steal another church’s people, unless they are being hurt
Go visit bob Jeppson’s church
Starting a new church
Go with the new church – new, smaller, like pastor dave
Go with new church for a year……
Go for a month…….be an usher or a greeter for a month
God calls each of us to ministry in our church, In our neighbor hood, and with all Christians in the world. We are in this together. John Wesley said, the world is my parish.
Let us pray.
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