Home Worship Services Sermons and Classes Location Contacts Bulletins Links |
FAMILY NEWSTUESDAY: The monthly area senior Bible study and fellowship will be at the Claytons'. Anyone is welcome, just bring your Bible. It will start at 7:00 P.M. HIGHWAY CLEAN UP: Saturday at 10:00 A.M. we will clean up the highway in front of our building. We need all the walkers we can get. We provide grabbers and safety shirts and collection bags. You just walk and pick up trash. This serves our community and is a great way to let people know who we are and that we want to serve. If you have any questions, see Richard Hoyt. COMMODITY DEADLINE: Shults-Lewis has asked us to bring canned chili beans and taco seasoning by this Sunday so they can pick it up. We have some goods, but the deadline is upon us. Just leave your goods on the pew in the foyer. JULY 30 – AUGUST 5 CASS COUNTY FAIR: There are sign-up sheets in the lobby for our work in our booth at the county fair. There are four-hour shifts and we need someone at the booth at all times. PLEASE sign up early so we can be sure all times are covered. TODAY'S LESSON
The recording is on the soft side concerning volume. John was using the pulpit mic and not the lapel mic. INTRODUCTION
A. Lesson motivated by 8 days in Colombia, South America.
I. THE WRONG CONCEPT OF BEING A MISSIONARY
1. Different country — bad history — same people
B. What can I possibly do? Answer — be a missionary — This is true in Dowagiac as well.2. Infrastructure bad — water, food, 9 million people 3. Catholicism dominant A. Matthew 14:13 – 21 — Jesus tries to get away.
II. MATTHEW 28:19 — ARRRGGGGH
1. John has just been killed.
B. “ARRRGGGGH” happens a lot with Jesus.
2. 5000 people beat him to the quiet place 3. Disciples see a problem — people need to eat 4. Jesus says, “You feed them!” — ARRRGGGGH 1. Matthew 17:20
C. Philippians 4:132. Cana wedding, Peter out of jail, etc. A. Actual words “Therefore, wherever you go, preach the gospel …” — not Matthew 19:16 – 26
III. COLOMBIA TAUGHT ME ABOUT MISSIONS.
1. If money is your god, get rid of it.
B.Early Christians did what Jesus said.
2. No command to sell all you have. 1. Lydia — Acts 16:14, 40
2. Mary and Martha — John 11 3. Aquila and Priscilla — Acts 18:3 4. Luke A. Dawkins in Colombia opened the door for me — Team from U.S., flyers, lectures.
IV. WE CAN “PREACH THE GOSPEL AS WE GO.”
B. Story of Miguel the light changer — use of resources C. Story of Adrias — the sidewalk artist D. Story of the Dominican Republic doctor A. Matthew 12:30 and Luke 11:23
THE BACK PAGECOLOMBIA, SOUTH AMERICAThe last time you received this bulletin, I told you about where I would be and what I would be doing over the next two weeks. This morning's sermon and this space is about missions. You may feel as I did when I was younger, that missions is fine for someone else who likes to do that kind of thing, but not for you. In a very real sense, going to South America and working for 8 days in a country that is undeveloped is easier than the mission work that you and I are called to do here in Dowagiac/Niles/Cass. In Colombia people came with no expectation that we wanted anything from them. We went into the plazas and sang Christian hymns in English. We always had an instant crowd who would stand around and listen. Some were testing their English, because the business world in Colombia uses English and learning English is a key to success. Some came out of curiosity. The missionaries that were working with us were passing out literature, some of which you have in your bulletin today. No one came expecting us to ask anything out of them. There was no collection or hat for them to throw money into. When you and I try to do mission work here in this part of Michigan, people impugn our motives. Your neighbors and friends are generally not interested in your religious convictions. People in America assume that if you are making a religious presentation, that they are going to be asked for a donation. There is automatic suspicion of what our motives really are. In Colombia there was really only one other option than the Gospel we were sharing with people, and that was Roman Catholicism. In this country that is not the case. We will have a booth at the Cass County Fair, but so will a dozen other religious bodies. Doing mission work in Michigan is much harder than Colombia, South America. Our lesson this morning will make some suggestions as to how we do this. For many people, the time they will listen to us and allow us to minister to them is when life closes in on them. Being there for people in need always works, and it will work for us here in Dowagiac. — John Clayton Our sign by the street!
Sign saying from Psalm 33:4 NIV |
