Reaching Out in Your Community

Scripture: "Work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare." Jeremiah 29:7

 
"Don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God." Hebrews 13:16

Recently, my church has started encouraging our congregation to get involved in local community service. Many people already serve inside the church -- as teachers, cleaners, musicians, and more. But by going outside the church walls, we show God’s tangible love and care to many who have never seen it. 

It can be as simple as picking up trash in a neighborhood, or as involved as starting a mentoring program for at-risk children at the local elementary school. 

Also, you may find organizations near you that you can work with or pray for. Here are some kinds of groups that God might call you to serve with.

Rescue Mission

Jesus' brother posed the question, "If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, 'Go in peace, be warmed and filled,' without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?" (James 2:15-16). Rescue missions help provide for the basic needs of people who are homeless or impoverished. Right now, you can pray for these organizations that follow the Lord's example of caring for the poor. Ask the Lord if He is calling you to serve, donate to, or otherwise partner with a rescue mission.

Women's Shelter or Crisis Pregnancy Center

James gave further instruction: "Pure and genuine religion means caring for orphans and widows in their distress" (James 1:27). And the Apostle Paul told his disciple, Timothy, "Treat older women as you would your mother, and treat younger women with all purity as you would your own sisters. Take care of any widow who has no one else to care for her" (I Timothy 5:2-3). Ask the Lord if He is calling you to help protect the most vulnerable in your community -- abused women, or the unborn.

Financial Ministry

Some ministries share the Gospel through loans for small business start-ups, according to this principle in Psalms: "[the godly] are generous, compassionate, and righteous. Good comes to those who lend money generously and conduct their business fairly" (Psalm 112:4-5). These ministries lend money for people to start small businesses, while teaching the borrowers about the Lord and how to grow in their faith. Successful small businessmen and women are able to provide for their families and build up their communities, repay their loans, and expand the ministry by lending money to other entrepreneurs. Ask the Lord if He is calling you to bless your community by working with this kind of ministry.

Living and Teaching

Scripture: "Go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you." Matthew 28:19-20

A modern proverb states, "Those who can, do; those who can't, teach." However, for followers of Jesus, a lot of the "doing" is teaching. The Lord has directed His people to share His message of love with the world.

Right Living

While leading others in their faith, we must keep an eye on our own lives, making sure that we are living what we are teaching. Jesus said, "Why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye" (Matthew 7:3-5). You will harm your disciples if you display a lifestyle of saying one thing while doing another. "Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did" (I John 2:6).

Bible-based Teaching

The Apostle Paul wrote to his disciple, Timothy, "All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right" (II Timothy 3:16). To properly lead another in godly growth, our foundation must be God's Word. "Those who obey God’s Word truly show how completely they love Him" (I John 2:5).

Follow Up Faithfully

When you commit to helping a new believer, don't give up on them. Many of the books of the New Testament exist because God didn't let His Apostles abandon the churches they'd planted throughout the region. 

Instead, they wrote to them and visited them to ensure that they learned and obeyed God's Word. St. Paul called his fellow Christians in Philippi "...my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it" (Philippians 1:5). The Apostles' follow-up contributed to the amazing growth of the Early Church, and when you help a new believer, you are walking in the Apostles’ footsteps.

Remembering What Christ Did: Communion

Scripture: "On the night when He was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then He broke it in pieces and said, 'This is My body, which is given for you. Do this to remember me.' In the same way, He took the cup of wine after supper, saying, 'This cup is the New Covenant between God and His people — an agreement confirmed with My blood. Do this to remember Me as often as you drink it.' For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until He comes again." I Corinthians 11:23-26

What is your favorite fruit or sweet treat? Can you think of it, imagine its flavor? Why do you like that treat, and what happy memories do you associate with it?

God Made Your Mind

The Bible records God, our Creator saying, "I am the Lord, Who made all things" (Isaiah 44:24). He created our minds to work in certain ways. He made your brain so it could build connections and form memories. For instance, if you think about your favorite treat from childhood, you can probably recall a happy experience associated with it.

Jesus Created a Significant Memory

Jesus was building in His Disciples' hearts a similar connection during the Passover meal. Rather than a happy memory, it was a hopeful one. It says "He broke [the bread] in pieces and gave it to the Disciples, saying, 'Take this and eat it, for this is My body'" (Matthew 26:26). He called the wine His blood "poured out as a sacrifice" (Matthew 26:28). He was telling them that His earthly body was going to be destroyed. At the same time, he created a way for His followers throughout history to remind themselves of the sacrifice He made for us. He instructed them to take the meal "to remember Me" (Luke 22:19).

Keep Your Spiritual Focus

After the Resurrection, the followers of Jesus obeyed His instructions, "devot[ing] themselves ... to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper)" (Acts 2:42). This helped them recall that Jesus died for them, so they wouldn't have to pay the price for their own sins. In the same way today, as we take Communion, we associate the bread and the wine with Christ's sacrifice. Our memories are once again stirred to recall our joy in Salvation, and also sorrow over our sins that made the Saviour's agony necessary.

Life in the Body of Christ

Scripture: “not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another . . .” Hebrews 4:25

Last week we learned about being part of Christ’s Body, the Church. We also talked about how important it is for every believer to be part of a local body of believers., a “little c” church. 

These days, you can “attend” church online. You can sing songs, hear great preaching, and even give money. But you would miss your chance to make a difference in the lives of other believers. That’s why Hebrews 4:25 says, “not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another . . .” You AND your disciples need to physically “show up” at church or in a fellowship group.

The New Testament is full of instructions on relating to one another. In fact, 56 passages include the phrase “one another” or “each other.”* Here’s just a few:

• Love one another – 15 separate times in the New Testament we are commanded to love each other (John 13:34-35, Romans 13:8, 1 Thessalonians 4:9 to name a few). When Jesus was asked to name the greatest commandment, He told us there are two: To love God with all our hearts, and to love our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:37-40). He said that all the commands of Scripture were summed up in these.

• Serve one another – Galatians 5:13 tells us to “serve one another humbly in love.” Jesus was our example, saying in Matthew 20:28, “the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” This world is filled with people who care only about themselves. When we put others first and serve each other with pure motives, the world takes notice, and God is glorified. 

• Live in harmony with one another (Romans 12:16) – In music, harmony means not doing the same thing as everyone else, but playing or singing something different that blends with others, increasing the beauty and power of the song. On the other hand, just one person playing the wrong note can make the whole group sound terrible! 

In the same way, when we are in conflict with our brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ, or worse, spreading that conflict to others, the whole body is “out of tune.” It stops functioning as it should. Ask the Lord through His Holy Spirit to use you to build unity instead of conflict.

The Body of Christ

Scripture: Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. – 1 Corinthians 12:12

In God’s word, the Apostle Paul describes the church not as an Organization, but an Organism – the “Body of Christ.” He goes on in this passage to explain what this means in practical terms:

Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. (1 Corinthians 12:15-16)

Each member of Christ’s body plays a different yet important role, and is a critical part of the whole.

The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” (1 Corinthians 12:21)

None of us should consider others (or ourselves) to be less important than another. Different does not mean better or worse. The one part that IS supreme is the Head, which is Jesus Christ Himself.

If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. (1 Corinthians 12:26)

If someone steps on your toe, you don’t say, “The toe hurts.” You say, “MY toe hurts.” When you look in the mirror and see pimples, you don’t say, “The face is breaking out,” but “MY face is breaking out.” In the same way, when your brother or sister in Christ is suffering physical or emotional pain, you don’t say, “That’s not my problem.” You go to that person and see how you can help. And if you can’t change the situation, it may be enough just to “weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15).

There are two distinct, but equally important, meanings of Christ’s body, the church. One includes every believer in the world, and is commonly called The Church. When you became a Christ-follower, you became part of The Church. But at the same time, every believer is called to become part of a local body or church. It’s in that context that all these relationships happen, and it’s where personal ministry takes place. Next week we will look more closely at relationships in the Body of Christ and what they mean in daily life.

The Power of Prayer

Scripture: "Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results." James 5:16

Prayer is just lovingly, reverently talking to God. Have you ever heard of the A.C.T.S. of prayer? Each letter stands for one kind of prayer. It is not the only or "right" prayer model, but it can help remind us of some of the basic things to cover when we approach our Heavenly Father in prayer:

A = Adoration (praise)
C = Confession (of sins)
T = Thanksgiving (being grateful to God)
S = Supplication (requests)

Adoration and Praise

Our Creator God is wonderful, and He deserves our praise! That’s why it’s good to start by praising Him. It also gives us a right perspective -- God’s greatness and power compared to our smallness. Jesus began The Lord's Prayer by acknowledging God's fatherly love, goodness, and rule over the earth: "Our Father in heaven, may Your Name be kept holy. May Your Kingdom come soon. May Your will be done on earth, as it is in Heaven" (Matthew 6:9-10).

Confession of Sins

"Everyone has sinned, [and] we all fall short of God’s glorious standard" (Romans 3:23). "Your sins have cut you off from God" (Isaiah 59:2), but we want to be close to Him! If we confess our sins to the Lord, "He is faithful and just to forgive us" (I John 1:9). Holding onto our sins builds a barrier between us and God. Confessing and repenting of them breaks down that wall.

Thanksgiving and Gratitude

How has God blessed you? How has He shown His love for you? Of course, we are thankful for His blessings. But we can even be grateful for problems and hardships, because He can use those to bring us closer to Himself. The Bible tells us to "be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus" (I Thessalonians 5:18).

Supplication and Requests

Jesus taught that we can ask for what we need, and to be persistent in asking: "keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you" (Luke 11:9). We can trust that "if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us" (I John 5:14).

The Gospels record Jesus turning to the Father in prayer time after time, day after day. We are to follow His example and "pray without ceasing" (I Thessalonians 5:17).

The Power of the Bible

Scripture: Jesus told him, "The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" Matthew 4:4 Jesus responded, "The Scriptures also say, 'You must not test the Lord your God.'" Matthew 4:7 "Get out of here, Satan," Jesus told him. "For the Scriptures say, 'You must worship the Lord your God and serve only Him.'" Matthew 4:10

In the Beginning

God has made an amazing universe. We read that "the Lord merely spoke, and the heavens were created. He breathed the word, and all the stars were born. ... When He spoke, the world began! It appeared at His command" (Psalm 33:6, 9). In His account of the Good News, Jesus' friend John declared, "In the beginning, the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through Him, and nothing was created except through Him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and His life brought light to everyone" (John 1:1-4). Jesus was no ordinary man, but actually took part in creating the universe.

Power of the Word

God's people had been told long ago about the power of His Word: "'It will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it'" (Isaiah 55:11). Because of that power, God knows all about everything He has made: "the Word of God is alive and powerful. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Nothing in all Creation is hidden from God. And He is the one to Whom we are accountable" (Hebrews 4:12-13).

Trust in the Word

The Apostle Paul taught the young pastor Timothy the importance of being grounded in Scripture: "All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right" (2 Timothy 3:16). Therefore, we rejoice in knowing that "The instructions of the Lord are perfect, the decrees of the Lord are trustworthy. The laws of the Lord are true; they are more desirable than gold" (Psalm 19).