The Good News + Good Deeds = A Positive Influence
Shannon Lewis
Living Springs Assembly of God
Bandera, Texas
www.lsagbandera.com
04/01/2007
Act 10:36-38
36As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all),37you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed:38how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.
The title tonight is, The Good News + Good Deeds = A Positive Influence
Let me share a cute story about the power of influence.
A mother took her young son shopping. After a day in the stores, a clerk handed the little boy a lollipop. "What do you say?" the mother said to the boy, to which he replied, "Charge it!"
On a more serious note of influence, “Dr. John Geddie went to Aneityum in 1848 and worked there for God for 24 years. On the tablet erected to his memory these words are inscribed:
When he landed, in 1848, there were no Christians. When he left, in 1872, there were no heathen.”
I want to start tonight with this statement,
“To TELL the truth, we must SHOW the truth.”
This is precisely what our Lord did. He served, met needs and people listened.
If you can, write this down and remember it.
People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. Showing through serving can help Christians and churches TELL more effectively.
When the crowds were following Jesus, he “welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God (that’s the good news), and healed those who needed healing (that’s the good deeds)”
When Jesus sent the twelve disciples out, “he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God (the good news) and to heal the sick (the good deeds)”.
You see, engaging our community with the good news and good deeds is not just a good plan or strategy of God’s people; it is at the very core of who they are. We learn that we’re not really following if were not engage in the life of our community through ministry and service to others.
It is based on this idea that Jesus was demonstrating to us how to effectively present the good news through good deeds.
The life of the church is most clearly reflected in the life of the community in which it serves.
Addressing Christian involvement in the community the Christian writer Tertullian wrote:
“Do we not dwell beside you, sharing your way of life, your dress, your habits and the same needs of life? We are no Brahmins or Indian gymnosophists, dwelling in woods exiled from life…We stay beside you in this world, making use of the forum, the provision-market, the bath, the booth, the workshop, the inn, the weekly market, and all other places of commerce. We sail with you, fight at your side, till the soil with you, and traffic with you; we likewise join our technical skill to that of others, and make our works public property for your use.”
The summary of all that is this, “The early Christians were not a society of separatists, they engaged in the life of the city. They socialized with their neighbors. They looked out for them.
Churches today should be defined as assets to their communities and not Liabilities. This can only happen when the church is engaging in the life of their community. Remember, people don’t care how much you know unless they know how much you care.
Learning and Growing
Learning is defined as, “to gain knowledge or understanding of or skill in by study or instruction.
One of the definitions of Growing, oddly enough is, “To have an increasing influence.” The most widely held view would be, “to spring up and develop to maturity”.
So, by this we can see that Learning and Growing isn’t necessarily the same thing. The better way of considering these two are by seeing them as two separate functions. Not as the same thing. Some would argue that if you’re learning, you have to be growing. Well, that isn’t always the case. A person can learn but not be growing. Conversely, a person can grow but not be learning.
For example, how many know that a person can eat and work and sleep and eat and work and sleep and they’ll grow but that growth doesn’t mean they are learning. Learning comes through instruction, not a ham and cheese sandwich. Even it is does have mustard on it!
So how can we relate this to the church? That is, learning and growing.
Well, let me just put it out there first and then I’ll come back and attempt to qualify it.
Learning
Christians learn via instruction. Preachers and teachers share the word of God for our instruction. We read the Bible for ourselves for instruction. We attend Bible Colleges for instruction. We go to Seminars for instruction. All those things are good and contribute to the overall good health of a believer but they don’t produce much growth, if any. They produce a vast supply of learning though.
Growth is obtained in a different way.
Growth
Christians grow via service. Christians can learn through good instruction but they grow through service. By giving ourselves to others we not only use what we learn but we’re growing through our serving. The most fulfilled Christians are those that are engaged in service. Why? Because growth is taking place, they’re being stretch and the experience of service is making them more like Jesus.
Illustration
Pauline just returned to the States after being in Portugal for 4 months. She told my wife the other day that while she was there she felt like God wanted her to teach a ladies’ bible study on Wednesday mornings. So she did but after a while she felt God was telling her that on Wednesday mornings she should begin feeding the poor. Pauline and the other ladies then began taking food to the poor in outlying villages where their houses were no more than shacks. They would take the food and while they were there, Pauline felt that every lady should feel like a lady and she began pampering these village ladies hands. She would take their hands and message them and rub lotions and such on them. One particular lady was blind and her hands were blackened with dirt. She washed, massaged and cared for this lady’s hands and while she was serving the blind woman, via an interpreter, the blind lady began asking questions such as, “Is she a pretty lady? Is she a pretty blonde lady? You would almost think this blind lady could see. Pauline began to tell via the interpreter that she was pretty lady too. After it was all over, Pauline said, “I have never felt more fulfilled or satisfied than when I was doing that for those ladies.”
Service to others will cause fulfillment and growth will happen.
Service and ministry must become vital parts of the growth model of church and the spiritual formation of its people.
To remain uninvolved in ministry and service means to quit growing. Learning may continue but growing will surely come to an end.
The goal of every faith community is to have a positive influence on the community.
Let me share with you another story that reflects this so clearly.
Robert Lewis, Founding Pastor of Fellowship Bible Church in Little Rock, Arkansas said this, “…Our church along with several others, organized to renovate some of the public schools in our area. Teachers and school officials had not asked for our help and were clearly surprised when we offered it. But when thousands of church volunteers descended on their schools, rebuilding playgrounds, landscaping entryways, laying carpet, construction hundreds of much needed cabinets, and paining hallways and classrooms, something special took place.
They believed….
Through witnessing these selfless demonstrations of love and helpful acts of service, they believe that the church just might have something worth listening to. I will never forget the comment one fourth-grade teacher as she stood there, amazed at the work being done on her classroom by complete strangers: “If this is Christianity, then I’m interested,” she said.
It was then and there that I realized our world is still open to a gospel it can hear and see. The real gospel is two-sided—it’s TRUTH and PROOF!”
I love that story. How often do we hear, “If that’s Christianity, I’m interested.” Usually, it’s more like, “If that’s, Christianity, I don’t want any part of it!"
The church has the best message, but how we propagate it will make the difference of whether it’s heard or not.
In closing, I would like to share a video with you. This video is about a man that goes about sharing the gospel all wrong. He does so via a bullhorn and tracks. Listen to the message of the video. There is a right way to share the gospel but I’m afraid there is a wrong way too. Let’s make sure we are sharing it the right way.
Through good deeds that will result in a positive influence in our community!
Show video: Rob Bell’s, BULLHORN
