LIFESONGS OF CAREGIVER & ACTIVIST
Part 7 in series, “LifeSongs*: Lives of Worship”
Rev. Todd Leupold Perth Bible Church Sunday February 24, 2008 AM
* Title inspired by the name of the song and album by “Casting Crowns.” Overall series inspired and, to some degree adapted, from the writings of Gary Thomas and Myra Perrine.
INTRODUCTION:
Tell me, whether you think it silently in your head or shout it at full capacity, when you read the Bible or listen to a sermon, what kind of statements provoke your “Amen!”; and which kind provoke your “oh my!”?
What if I said, “I believe in the literal truth of the Scriptures and the infallible authority of the Bible?” Or, “Jesus promises an eternal future of joy and blessing, without sin, pain or sorrow for all who believe in Him”? Or, “Jesus, the Almighty wants you to let Him carry your burdens?”
Good. Now, what is your normal heart and body response when someone proclaims: “Let us go right now and minister in the prisons”? Or, “Let’s go to the nursing home and see if there are any oozing soars we can help clean or bodies we can bathe”? Or, “We need to do something about the proposed Planned Parenthood on Rt. 30A.” Is it just me, or has it suddenly gotten quiet? Why is that?
Most likely, somebody right is thinking, “Hey, that’s not what I signed up for. I’m just here to worship Jesus.”
Well, it so happens that this morning is our 7th and final message in the series “Lifesongs: Lives of Worship.” We started our series with an Invitation to Worship and an examination of what it means to have a Heart of Worship. We then have looked more closely at seven different Lifesongs or lifestyles of worship that the Bible calls His people toward. Perhaps, it is fitting then that as we examine the last two Lifesongs of worship this morning, we end it with a tangle, substantive call to commitment.
Don’t worry, I promise I won’t ask any more of you than Jesus does . . .
SCRIPTURE: Matthew 25:34-46
With these words in mind, let us reflect on the last two LifeSongs:
I. THE CAREGIVER LIFESONG
A. INVENTORY
How would you answer the following statements?1
4 = very true, 3 = Often true, 2 = Sometimes true, 1 = Rarely true, 0 = Never True
1.I sense God’s pleasure when I am caring for others, e.g., helping a friend who’s in need, giving a ride to someone without a car, or working in the soup kitchen in my community of faith.
2.Being a caring servant of God who puts faith into action is very important to me.
3.I am not pleased when I see Christians who love God yet walk right past a sick neighbor or a family in need without helping them.
4.When I am helping those in need, I experience God’s love, whether they are weak, poor, sick, or imprisoned.
5.I feel like I am showing my love for God when I am helping “the least of these” by meeting practical needs, e.g., fixing a meal or helping with a household repair.
6.I would like to improve my skills in lay counseling to be better equipped to help those in need.
B. PROFILE
Serving others sacrificially in a personal, tangible and physical manner.
Quick to recognize & sympathize with the needs of others.
Practical answers to practical problems.
Feel most connect to Jesus & filled with His Spirit when actively engaged in meaningful, tangible Christian service.
Tend to prefer being “behind-the-scenes.”
C. VALUES
1.Living The Word (NOT just ’knowing’)
2.Allowing Jesus’ Love & Blessings to Overflow.
3. Intimacy with God through Helping Others.
4.Not Afraid To “Get Dirty.”
D. SCRIPTURE COMMANDS THAT WE CARE FOR . . .2
1.Other Believers – 1 John 3:17
2.Orphans & Widows – James 1:27
3.Prisoners – Hebrews 13:3
4.The Poor – Matthew 19:21
5.The Interests of Jesus – Philippians 2:19-21
E. CAUTIONS:
1.Outward Service Superseding Inner Transformation.
2.Overwhelming Emotion (sadness, guilt, helplessness, etc.)
3.Bitterness From Being Overlooked.
F. EXAMPLES
1.Mordecai – Esther 2:7
2.Ruth – Book of Ruth
3.Women At Jesus’ Tomb – Luke 24:1
4.Jesus – Matthew 4:23-24; 9:35-36
The great Alliance preacher and renowned Christian author, A. W. Tozer, makes this observation: “Before the judgment seat of Christ my service will be judged not by how much I have done but by how much I could have done!... In God’s sight, my giving is measured not by how much I have given but how much I have left after I made my gift… Not by its size is my gift judged, but by how much of me there is in it. No man gives at all until he has given all! No man gives anything acceptable to God until he has first given himself in love and sacrifice” (Renewed, 2/19).
I. THE ACTIVIST LIFESONG
A. INVENTORY
How would you answer the following statements?3
4 = very true, 3 = Often true, 2 = Sometimes true, 1 = Rarely true, 0 = Never True
1.Taking a stand for what is right in this world and opposing what is wrong causes me to draw closer to God; therefore, I think it’s important to stay current on issues and urge others to do so also.
2.The suffering and evil in this world really bother me, and I feel strongly that the apathy of the masses must be challenged.
3.When I see or read about someone who is confronting evil or taking positive action to change the unjust conditions in the world, my love for God is stirred.
4.It is essential that injustice and the status quo be confronted, and it’s the Lord who compels me to take action when it comes to poverty, prostitution, slavery, the conditions in our local schools, or the neglect/oppression of the aged.
5.I can’t identify with Christians who lack compassion or fail to take action when they see wrong occurring in their immediate contexts.
6.A presentation by Gary Haugen on “God’s Heart of Justice: Why Do Bad Things Happen and Good People Just Watch?” is something I would like to attend.
B. PROFILE
- Described by some as “crusaders.”
Activist worshipers have a strong sense of good & evil, black & white, justice & injustice.
Take joy and pride in sacrificing for God and others. Embrace Matthew 5:10,16.
Feel closest to Christ and His service when actively fighting for good against evil, righting a wrong, protecting Truth and justice, defending the weak, etc.
Strongly believe and even proclaim that teaching/believing alone is rarely if ever enough. ACTION is always necessary.
C. VALUES
1.Putting Faith Into Practice.
2.Making A Visible Difference.
3.Being Jesus’ Hands & Feet.
Jim Cymbala: “As Christians reach out to touch everyone, including the unlovely who are now everywhere in our society, God touches them, too – and revolutionizes their lives. Otherwise we would just be circling our wagons, busying ourselves with Bible studies among our own kind. There is no demonstration of God’s power because we have closed ourselves off from the need for such demonstration” (Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire, pg. 143).
4.“Multiplying” Jesus.
- The world constantly asks, “Where is Jesus?” “Why doesn’t He help me?”
- Jesus constantly asks, “Where are the people who are My Body?” “When will they trust My
promise to work wonders through them?” “When will they truly see and live out their role as
My Ambassadors in this world?”
- God’s people, sadly, constantly ask, “Who me?” “Why not someone else?” “Where’s the
pastor?”
D. CAUTIONS:
1.Being Overzealous.
2.Not Counting The Cost.
3.Perception (Self or Other) As “Defender of God.”
4.Depending On Our Own/Community’s Power Over God’s.
E. EXAMPLES
1.Moses – Exodus 2:11-12; 2:17; 4-11
2.Elijah – 1 Kings 18
3.Nehemiah – Book of Nehemiah
4.Jesus – Isaiah 11:4-5; 16:5; Luke 4:16-20
SING OUT! (summary & concluding challenge):
These last 7 weeks we have learned in Spirit & in Truth from God’s Holy Scripture that worshiping Him means so much more than most of us ever imagined or engaged. We have learned not only that Jesus can be worshiped in a variety of ways, but that He should be worshiped in all of these ways – through Tradition, Ascetics, Contemplation, Enthusiasm, the Intellect, Nature, our Senses, Caregiving and Action!
In his book, Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire, Pastor Jim Cymbala writes about “what happens when God’s Spirit invades the hearts of His people” (subtitle). Referring near the end of his book to the need for godly people of action, as exemplified by David’s “mighty men” he writes:
“These heroes did not just sit back, as many do today, saying, ’Well, God promised, and I’m sure he’ll fulfill his word.’ They stepped up and took action to make the promise become reality. They understood that God’s work in the world is usually a joint project; he works with us as we yield ourselves to work with him. . . What we desperately need in our own time are not Christians full of cant and posturing, railing at the world’s problem of secular humanism, New Age, or whatever. We need men and women who will step out to turn back today’s slide toward godlessness, prayerless churches, family breakup, and waning evangelistic fervor. They may not have been to seminary, but they have been schooled and trained by God for hand-to-hand warfare in the spiritual realm. . . When it comes to spiritual matters, you and I will never know our potential under God until we step out and take risks on the front line of battle. . . What the world’s situation cries out for today is this kind of determined and desperate faith that grips the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, and won’t let go until victory comes” (pp. 170,172-174).
Throughout this morning you have been looking at and probably wondering about the objects that are up here: bandages, a soldier ball, and a ball. They serve to remind us that a life of worship for Jesus is one which perpetually seeks to heal, to serve and sacrifice on God’s front line, and to keep the ball rolling for Jesus!
Who, here today, will commit to do these things?
