Becoming an M & M Church
INTRODUCTION: God has called his church to reach a lost world for Him Matthew 28:19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,. In the first century as at other times in history, the church has taken very seriously this mandate. Yet it seems as we look to the dawning of a new century that the church has seemed to lose the urgency of its task. In many cases the church has become little more than a social club for the saved. Jesus himself said in Mark 2:17 "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." And in Luke 19:10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost." The mandate for the church seems clear, the question is how do we accomplish it. I want to suggest that we do so by becoming an M & M church. No, not a church that passes out chocolate candy, Although that would probably bring people into the church. We need to become a church that is magnetic and mobilizing. “What’s that” you ask? Well lets look at an example of such a church.
Acts 11:19-26
Now those who had been scattered by the persecution in connection with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, telling the message only to Jews. 20Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. 21The Lord's hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.
22News of this reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. 24He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.
25Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.
I think what the church in Jerusalem heard about was a church that had the two characteristics I already mentioned. They were magnetic and moblizing.
I) Magnetic
How do you know if a church is magntic and just exactly what are you talking about?
I believe magnetism is evidenced in the phrase 23When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God. It is our ability to be a reflection of God that makes us magnetic. Here are just a few of the characteritics a church needs to be magnetic.
A) The church must have integrity or in the words of the beatitudes be pure in heart.
The world has seen too much evidence of a church that says one thing and does another. They are looking for a church that has a pure heart. A church that strives to the very best of its ability to be free of contamination.
They are also looking for a church with pure motives.
On making an evangelistic visit to an individual once I said you know what you need to do what is keeping you from doing it. Their answer has stayed with me since that day. They looked me in the eye and said, “because when I do people in the church will quit coming to visit me.”
We must check our motivation. People want a church where they feel like they belong. A place where people really care about them as a person and not just a statistic.
B) The church must be a place that shows mercy.
Not getting what we deserve.
In order for us to show mercy, we must have sympathy for the other person. This word comes from two Greek word syn meaning together with and paschein meaning to experience or suffer. Therefore sympathy is experiencing or suffering together with.
If we can achieve this attitude, it will help us in 3 ways.
1) Keeps us from being kind in the wrong way.
2) It makes forgiveness and tolerance much easier
3) It helps us to better understand what God did for us through
Jesus.
How can we practice mercy?
1) Through physical acts.
Matthew 25:31-39 "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
37"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
It is in this area that the church will find its greatest test in the next century. A report issued a few weeks ago says that social security system will be bankrupt by the year 2009. Where do you think all those people will go to find aid? The church. In fact the passage we just read would suggest that it should have been our responsibility all along.
But we are not going to be able to sit back and say why don’t you go to the church. We must take individual responsibility. If you are aware of a need then meet it.
C) To be magnetic the church must show evidence of the fruit of the spirit.
Galatians 5:22-24
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.
D) The church must present to them Jesus.
II) MOBILIZING
Romans 12
I Corinthians 12
Ephesians 4
All tell us of the gift that God has given every believer.
Why does God Give us Spiritual gifts?
A. To equip us with the tools for effective outreach ministry.
B. To equip us with the tools to edify, encourage, and care for fellow believers.
C. To provide the means by which we can experience the greatest personal
fulfillment.
Winston Churchill - “Give us the tools and we will do the job
I) Use of our gift is expected.
A) It is the example of Jesus
Matthew 20:28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
Philip. 2:7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
B) It is commanded
Galatians 5:13 You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.
C) Jesus shows us the penalty of failing to use our gifts
Matt. 25:14-ff -Parable of the talents
D) It is an act of worship
Romans 12:1-18 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.
3For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. 4Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
Discover what your spiritual gift is by using these three Questions as a Guide.
1) Is this conclusion consistent with what I know about spiritual gifts.
2) Is the gift evident to other mature Christians whom you respect.
3) Is the exercise of the gift effective in ministry.
II) Use of our gift is neccessary
The Body will benefit when ALL parts are working properly.
A) There will be unity
1 Cor. 12:24-25 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.
B) There will be no discrimination
1 Cor. 12:15-16
If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 16And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body.
Romans 12:3
For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.
C) There will be effective outreach
Ephes. 4:11-15
It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
14Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. 15Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.
D) God will be glorified
1 Peter 4:11
If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.
CONCLUSION: If we are magnetic and mobilizing nothing can keep people away from the church. The choice is ours.
