"Good News and Good Deeds"

(Taken from "The Externally Focused Church" by Rick Rusaw & Eric Swanson)

Luke 4:16-19

Sunday, November 18, 2007

Introduction: Exercise. When I say that word, it brings up different thoughts for different people. There are some who are fanatics about exercise. They go to the gym every day. They are obsessive about their bodies. In many ways, being in good shape dominates their thinking. For them, exercise is about looking good…. For others, it is more about health. There are those who will exercise to help their bodies to be more healthy…. And still for others, they don’t want to have anything to do with exercise. To them, exercise is getting up off the couch to walk to the refrigerator and get something to eat.

The truth is, we all need some kind of exercise for our physical health. But even more, we need spiritual exercise for our spiritual growth. Spiritual exercise is doing service for others. This morning I want to continue on our theme of growing in our spiritual maturity.

I. Irresistible Influence- (Matthew 5:13-14)

a. Influence- There are many who believe that the best way to

influence people to change, is by their hearing about the benefit of change. It is along the lines of the thinking: “Given enough time and truth, people will grow and change.” But the truth is, people rarely change from what they hear. Change really happens when people see others around them changing. We are most influenced by what we see happen in others. When we make a difference with our lives, then others see this and want to change so that they can make a difference as well.

This is why service is so important. Service helps to get people out of their comfort zone so that they can grow. Service helps people to bond with others who are growing. Service provides an environment where goodwill can happen in the community. Now, just like people can gather information without really learning, likewise people can serve without growing. But as I’ve said before, people can’t fully grow without serving.

EX. Erwin McManus is the pastor of a church in Los Angeles called MOSAIC. In describing the church their website says: “We are a community of followers of Jesus Christ, committed to live by faith, to be known by love, and to be a voice of hope. The name of our community comes from the diversity of our members and from the symbolism of a broken and fragmented humanity which can become a work of beauty under the artful hands of God.” The focus of their church is to be externally focused. The people in their church meet in 3 different locations, and the church is 1500 members…….Pastor Erwin McManus has this to say about service and growth: “Some people believe that growth is like a series of steps—first you teach them for several months, then you put them in a training program for a while, then finally you give them some service opportunities. I don’t believe that. I believe that as every baby is born with everything it will need as an adult…every child of God is reborn with everything he or she needs to grow and serve Christ. So from day one, and even before a person becomes a Christian, we get them serving in the community…. Discipleship is not what happens within the four walls of this church…A person who attends but does not begin to serve will usually drop out within a year.”

b. Being irresistible- Mosaic church is a church that is noticed in its

community. And the truth is, most churches that are noticed by their communities are churches that are involved with their communities. But it is one thing to be noticed, it is another to be an irresistible influence. Being an irresistible influence is about doing things that will cause people to marvel and say: ‘God is at work in a wonderful way, for no one could do these things unless God were with them.’

In the gospel of Matthew, 5:13-14 we are told: “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. ¹⁴"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.” We are called to be salt (to enhance the flavor of our world); we are called to be light (to shine the light of God’s ‘good news’ to the world). Being irresistible is about being salt and light in creative ways; in ways that cause others to not only notice, but notice in a way that they want to get involved as well.

EX. Every Christmas season we go out and carol in the neighborhood. Last year we decided to go south on Orange Ave. At one of the first houses we came to we had the opportunity to sing to a family. This family had a little girl (about 5 years old) who was so taken by our being there and singing that she came outside and joined us in our singing. Even more, she decided to join us as we continued down the street singing (her mother came as well because the girl wanted to do it so much).

In the book The Externally Focused Church, it asks these important questions: “What if ministry to others is not just a potential avenue of growth but absolutely essential to our spiritual growth?… What if 100 percent of Christians were ministering in some capacity inside the church or in our communities? Can we even imagine all that would change? Communities would change, churches would change, and those within the church would be changed.” (p. 81)

To affect change like this would be seen as irresistible.

II. Not Being Idle- (Ephesians 2:10; Matthew 20:1-16)

a. A great asset- You might have heard this statistic before, it is the

statistic about church volunteers. The statistic says that 20% of the people do 80% of the work. Every year the U. S. Labor Department releases the unemployment figures quarterly. If the number ever goes over 7% it is viewed as a crises. And yet, we don’t think much of it when we hear that 80% of the people in a church are not involved in service. That statistic should bother us. It should cause us to want to see that figure climb to 100%. As I said before, what kind of impact could be made if 100% of the people were involved in service inside and/or outside of the church?

There are always needs within the church and in the community. And churches have a great asset—people. And because of this, there is a great opportunity; the opportunity of helping and serving our community. There are people with desperate needs outside of the church, and there are people who long to make a difference inside of the church. The challenge is figuring out how to link them together.

The best way to make this link, is by engaging people’s passions. When we are able to live out our passion in meaningful ministry, then we are blessed, and those whom we help are blessed. EX. I have been helping to coach Tyler’s baseball team this fall. It is not only nice to be there for Tyler, but for the other boys (and one girl) on the team. I love being able to share my understanding and experience of the game with these kids. I love helping them to become better baseball players, and even more, better people. Last week I got the ultimate encouragement. Tami was talking to the team mom (who has a son on the team), and she shared how her son Brandon wanted to play on the same team that I would be coaching on this next spring!!

b. Passion in action- You see, every person is born with a passion. So,

every person who follows Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior (and is reborn) has a passion to share. We are called to take this passion and do good works with it. As we are told in Ephesians 2:10- “For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

In Matthew 20:1-16, Jesus tells the story of a landowner who went out to hire workers for his vineyard. The owner hired some workers early in the morning, but then realized that he needed more. So he went out and hired more about 9 a.m. Needing more he went and hired more at noon, and then 3 o’clock. At 5 o’clock he went out again, and found workers standing there idle. He asked them this question “‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’” And they responded, ‘Because no one has hired us.’” Then he hired them to work the vineyard with all the other workers.

This story reminds us that there are workers here in the church, and they are not working because they haven’t been asked to do a job that is fitting with their passion. I encourage you to not wait until you are asked. Look around the church, look around our community, see where you can get involved. Maybe there is something that needs to be done that isn’t being done now. Initiate the program with me or with another member of the staff or session or deacons.

Until we discover our place of service, we will not feel the joy of Ephesians 2:10. How great would it be each Sunday to hear stories of the service people had done the previous week?!

III. Rolling Up Our Sleeves- (Jeremiah 22:15b-16; Galatians 2:9b-10)

a. Being remembered- Joan of Arc once said: “I know this now. Every

man gives his life for what he believes. Every woman gives her life for what she believes. Sometimes people believe in little or nothing. One life is all that we have and we live it as we believe in living it. And then it is gone. But to sacrifice what you are and live without belief, that’s more terrible than dying.”/ One of the important aspects of life is to end it knowing that you made some kind of a difference. If you mention the name Abraham Lincoln you might think of how he freed the slaves or held together the union. If you say the name George Washington you might think of his being known as the father of the this country. If you say the name Martin Luther King Jr., you would think of one who helped to bring the dream of ridding our country of bigotry and racism.

You and I probably will never have names that are as well known as these that I have mentioned. But the truth is, if you live a life of unselfishness and service, you will be remembered as one who made a difference in the lives of others…. I have done many funerals. None have been for people who are famous. But many have been for people who were unselfish, and who did give their lives in service, and the memories that are shared are memories of how their lives deeply impacted the lives of others around them……In Jeremiah 22:15b-16 we read Jeremiah’s words about King Josiah: “‘He did what was right and just, so all went well with him. ¹⁶ He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me?’ declares the LORD.”

b. Sleeves rolled up- I remember when I was a kid, I always wanted

to help my dad with the chores. Now of course, this was before I was old enough to have to do the chores. And like any little kid, I always wanted to help my dad wash the car. I would go out with my dad, and we would roll up our sleeves, and then dip the cloth into the soapy water and apply the cloth to the car.

This is a picture of someone who is eager to do the work. We see this idea mentioned in Galatians 2:9b-10, “…They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the Jews. ¹⁰All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.” This word “eager” is like the word “passion.” Just as you aren’t passionate about everything, so you are not eager to do everything. It is in those things with which we are eager to do that we should seek to get involved in, and get others around us involved as well. Those things we are eager to do are the things we roll up our sleeves and get ready to work hard.

And how do we become eager to do things. It is Christ who makes us eager. When we become Christians, we are given a new heart; a heart that is eager to make a difference. A heart that is willing to work for the kingdom of God. A heart that is willing to make a positive impact on this world.

There has been some wonderful examples over the years of how the church has rolled up her sleeves and made an impact in the world.

EX. 1- During the devastating plagues of the first 3 centuries in Europe, many fled the cities. But those who were Christians chose to stay and minister to the sick and the dying. As Dionysius, bishop of Alexandria said: “…They held fast to each other and visited the sick fearlessly, and ministered to them continually, serving them in Christ…” They were eager to do this for the name of Christ.

EX. 2- The early Christians were eager to minister to others and showed hospitality to the poor, orphans, the elderly, the sick, mineworkers, and prisoners. Because of this, the church played an important role in community transformation, and led the way in meeting social needs and curing social ills.

EX. 3- In the fifth century, Celtic Ireland was believed to be too barbaric for the Romans to conquer or civilize. Along came Saint Patrick, who with his followers planted about 700 churches and ordained 1000 priests. Within his lifetime, he saw 40 or more of the 150 tribes of Ireland become Christian.

(The Externally Focused Church, p. 114)

IV. What Good Deeds Accomplish- (Galatians 6:10; 1 John 3:17-18;

Hosea 11:4; Matthew 5:16; Luke 5:20-25, 4:16-19)

So we see that God calls us to eagerly and passionately combine good deeds with the good news of God’s love. I want to finish by talking about what good deeds accomplish.

a. Benefit others- First, good deeds benefit others. As the apostle

Paul tells us in Galatians 6:10- “Let us do good to all people.” Good deeds are about making the lives of others around us better. We are called to bring to this world love, mercy, compassion and justice. By doing this we help to bring physical and emotional wholeness to a broken world. Ministering to others to benefit them is something that the Lord requires of us, regardless of whether the people we help come to faith or not. We love and serve because we are followers of Christ.

In 1 John 3:17-18 we read, “¹⁷If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? ¹⁸Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” And Hosea 11:4 tells us, “⁴ I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love; I lifted the yoke from their neck and bent down to feed them.”/ People are often led to a saving faith through the kindness of God’s people.

b. Glorify God- Second, good deeds glorify God. As Matthew 5:16

says: “Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your father in heaven.” Jesus’ good works brought praise and glory to the Father. This should be our goal as well. Throughout the centuries, it has been noticed when God’s people have stood strong to shine the light of God in troubling times. As I mentioned before, this happened during the plagues of Europe. Also, during the plague that hit the Roman empire in the early fourth century, Christians shone the light of God by being the only ones willing to bury the dead, and by giving food to those who were hungry. As the church historian Eusebius recalls: “….When this became known, people glorified the Christians’ God, and convinced by the very facts, confessed the Christians alone were truly pious and religious.”

c. Move people towards Jesus- Thirdly, good deeds help move people

towards Jesus. Often times people are not in a place where they want to hear about Jesus, or talk about Jesus. When we come into people’s lives and do good for them, it helps them to move to a place where they are more receptive to who Jesus is.

EX. In the gospel of Luke, 5:20-25, we have the story of the paralytic. Here you have a man who is paralyzed, and he hears about this person (Jesus) who can heal. So his friends carry him to the house where Jesus is, but they can’t get in because there are so many people. Determined to see Jesus, his friends lower him down through the roof so that he is laying right in front of Jesus! When Jesus sees this man, Jesus says, in verse 20, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” / Jesus knew that it took great faith to do what he did. But Jesus is questioned on his authority to forgive sins. So Jesus then says in verse 23-25, “Which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'? ²⁴But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins...." He said to the paralyzed man, "I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home." ²⁵Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God.” / The man is healed, and because of this good deed Jesus does for him, he goes out praising God. Remember back to Matthew 5:16? “Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your father in heaven.” It is through good deeds that people see the good news of God’s love and are willing to praise God.

This all works because of what Jesus tells us in Luke 4:16-19- “He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. ¹⁷The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: ¹⁸"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, ¹⁹to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

CONCLUSION: Jesus was about good news. But often He spoke of His good news through His good deeds (healing the paralyzed man; feeding the 5,000; touching and healing the leper; and on and on His good deeds went). As Jesus’ followers, we need to find ways to speak the good news of Jesus through our good deeds. Let us do this with passion and eagerness. Amen.