The Churches Other Calling

The Church’s Other Calling

Scripture Reading: Acts 2:42-47 and Acts 4:32-37

Introduction:

(find a video that will set the stage for this sermon - check out www.nooma.com)

Most of us would know and understand that one of the greatest things we can do in our relationship with God is to emulate His Love towards other people.

From time to time we have to discover and examine the purposes of the church.

One of the things we learn every Sunday morning through our Nazarene International Missions video clips and are still learning is that the church worldwide must evangelize, not only overseas, but also right here in our own neighborhoods.

(Acts 1:8) "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

I want to challenge you to stay faithful to your Faith Promise to support Missions around the world.

Keep in mind this is fulfilling part of our Mission Statement of what Jesus tells us to do.

Our Goal for World Evangelism is $45,000. and for the year, right now, 6 months into the church year, we have given $20,000 to World Evangelism.

If you are new to our church family and you would like to know what Faith Promise is - then I challenge you to meet with my wife, Drusilla and let her explain to you how you can get involved in helping build the Kingdom of God around the world in the Church of the Nazarene.

We have also learned of the importance of prayer, faith and fasting in our church in the last several weeks.

I want to encourage you to continue to get involved in Triplet Praying.

Three people getting together and praying for 9 unsaved and unchurched people.

And remember if you are a part of this Triplet Praying, you are helping our church pray for over a 1,000 unsaved people.

We have learned how vital fellowship is in the life of a church, building friends and relationships through getting involved in a Small Group.

We have discovered how crucial discipleship is to the healthiness of the church.

We have to understand that it takes a spiritually healthy church to grow.

And yet it seems to me that we are not growing as quickly as we should.

We have become aware of worship and how we need to come to His temple to praise and adore Him.

This morning I want to explore with you the ministry of the giving out of love to those who are needy.

I want to take the area we don’t preach about very often, but our church is moving toward this more and more.

As you have seen this morning on the screen, We started with the Extreme Makeover with Gail Latham.

The next family we helped was the John Brown family.

Today Pastor Derek introduced to you a very worthy family for us to help.

We love Chuck and Teresa Howell and their children.

They are very special to us. They’re one of us.

Chuck lost his job just last week.

Here’s a very worthy family for us come to help.

What I’ve presented to you this morning is what I want to refer to as Balance in the Church.

Teaching and Preaching

Worship

Breaking of the bread

Prayer

The one we don’t talk about much but this is a part of the equation of the Early Church and what they did and it is Helping those who are in need.

I want to direct your attention to Acts 2:44-45

"All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need."

Look at Acts 4:3435

"There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need."

What is balance?

Balance is a tricky thing.

The last couple weeks I have watched my neighbors son learn the concept of balance when it comes to learn to ride a bicycle.

It’s a trick for him.

He doesn’t have it down yet.

He’s constantly leaning to one side.

Do you remember the bike with the training wheel?

One training wheel was well worn, and the other looked brand new.

Application:

Slowly but surely we need to learn not to lean too far one way or the other as a church.

Do you remember when your dad took off the training wheels?

Dad took off the training wheels and ran along side of you.

I learned a valuable lesson: balance.

One of our General Supt. Dr. James Diehl shares the concept of balance.