Pastor Railton would consider it a privilege to talk with anyone about the church, living the Christian life, how to become a Christian or any problem or discouragement you may be experiencing. Let him know and he will be glad to either come to your home or meet in the office.
One of the Most Important Ministries of the Church
I. LIFE NEED
A. I'm going to speak this morning about one of the very most important ministries, one of the primary purposes
of the church.
1. As I read the scriptures the church's mission is . . .
a. To worship the Lord God and his son Jesus
Christ,
b. To study the word, applying it, growing in it,
c. To fellowship with, and to minister to one
another,
d. To serve the Lord and his cause, and
e. To preach the gospel message of the
kingdom, making disciples of all believers.
2. I realize that's a mouth full, but there's really only
one area I want to cover this morning. Ministering to one another, caring for one another, is one of the
most important things we are about.
B. We all need care. Just because we're in the church, it doesn't mean we don't still have problems,
discouragements, needs, or crises. It doesn't mean we no longer deal with sin and temptation. In fact, since we
don't blend in with the world, since we march to a different drummer, we need even more care than the
average person.
1. A healthy biological family provides about the best
caring and support one can hope to have.
2. But the next best thing, and sometimes even better
than the biological family, is the care and support from within the church family. We all need care.
We all want a certain amount of care. In fact we all expect a certain amount of care, and rightly so.
3. We may not realize how important caregiving is,
until we're in the midst of a crises, but when we need it, we need it! I remember when the power was out a
couple weeks ago. I don't usually think much about the electrical plant, or the poles outside, or the wires
and transformers. I take it all for granted. But when it was out, I missed it. It is such an important part of
our lives.
4. The same is true of the care and encouragement we
give one another. But if we all need, want, and expect care, someone's got to provide it. That's what
we'll talk about this morning. You and I have an equal responsibility in caring for one another. Every
person in the congregation shares this responsibility!
II. BIBLE LEARNING
A. John 13:34,35.
1. It wasn't a new command that we love one another.
This was required in the Old Testament. as well.
2. The new part is that we love as Jesus loved. Our
love for one another is to be based on Jesus' sacrificial love for us! Such love is the distinguishing
mark of Jesus' followers. It will identify us to the world. It will protect us from the world. It will keep
believers strong and unified in a hostile world.
3. There's probably nothing that will turn people away
more quickly than petty bickering, jealousy, division and hatred. I've shared before that a survey in
Elkhart County showed the #1 reason the unchurched don't go to church is that it's irrelevant.
The #2 reason is the church's reputation for in house fighting, politics. How sad the church in general has
such a reputation.
4. Love is more than a warm feeling. It's an attitude
that expresses itself in action. How can we love as Jesus loved?
a. By helping when it's not convenient.
b. By giving when it hurts.
c. By devoting energy to others' welfare rather
than our own.
d. By absorbing and forgiving hurts from others
without backbiting and getting even.
e. By putting yourself in the other person's shoes
and more than just seeing their needs, by feeling them empathetically.
f. By being the friend Jesus would be - if he were
here.
g. By caring for one another.
5. We are commanded to love one another 16 times in
the New Testament.
B. Turn to Luke 15.
1. Tell story of the prodigal son. The application.
2. Luke 15:25-32. Comments.
3. There are many lessons in this parable which we
won't comment on this morning. But let's think about this. We must not be like the older brother. We must
not assume the place and privileges of a child of God and at the same time refuse the obligations and
love toward others in the family. Repeat. Explain. Many applications!
C. I John 3:11-18.
D. I John 4:11,12.
E. I John 4:19-21.
F. Matt. 25:31-46.
III. BIBLE APPLICATION
A. There are numerous more passages that address this issue of loving and caring for one another within the
church. We won't take time with them now, because they merely support what we already know. I preach on
this once each year. As I prepared this message I wondered, how often should I preach on this? How
often should I remind us that this caring for one another is a command. It's a responsibility. It's an obligation in
the family. If we don't take care of one another, who will? If we don't love one another, who will?
B. The care of the body is so much more than what I do, as the pastor. If we were to survey the average church
member on the street, and asked, who's supposed to call at the hospital, and contact absentees, visit in the homes,
help the elderly, give to the poor, run errands for the church, comfort the grieving, let the body know when
there's a need, encourage the troubled, care for the body, etc., I'm guessing that 9 times out of 10, the answer
would be "the pastor." I searched the scriptures and found no place where caregiving is relegated to the
pastor. It's the responsibility of the entire body. Now the pastor is part of the body, and must do his share, but the
bulk of the responsibility falls to the people, the congregation.
1. In fact, a few weeks ago I preached a message on
the scriptural responsibilities of the elders and pastor. It's primarily teaching, guarding against
untruth, prayer, and other spiritual ministries.
2. Now I don't want you to misunderstand me. I don't
want to be squeezed out of caregiving, but I will admit, and want all to be aware, that caregiving isn't
a primary Biblical responsibility of the Elders or the pastor.
3. The majority of the caregiving should be, as they say
in government, of the people, by the people, and for the people. Eph. 2:10 tells us, "For we are God's
workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good
works . . ."
IV. LIFE RESPONSE
A. My hope is to challenge you this morning to evaluate; what do you do to care for the body? What might you
do? What should you do!
B. I want to share with you my vision for the caregiver ministry. It's short and sweet. I would like to see every
member of the church actively involved in caring for the church body. (Repeat)
1. Think a moment about your biological family. Don't
we aggressively care for, provide for, protect, encourage, help, celebrate with, sorrow with, love,
our biological family? We should do even more so, for the church family!
2. I believe we can do this. Every one of us could
perform some caring ministry every week. If you doubt that, let me sit down with you for a few
minutes. I'm confident we could find something you could do well, that would fit within your schedule, if
you make it a priority! If we can't find something, I'll buy your lunch.
3. Can you imagine what might happen if every
member of Timberland was actively involved in caring for the church body? Someone has said, "A
functioning, caring body is absolutely essential for growth and maturity to take place in the church."
I'm guessing we would all like to see growth and maturity in the church. Here is one of the keys.
Here is your opportunity to help make it happen.
C. Just a couple more minutes. (Find the caregiver bulletin insert.) We're asking that you sign up for one or more of
these ministries if you can be actively involved. It would be nice to have several people responsible for each
ministry that could develop it, and recruit others, and see that we are caring in these ways. But I want to share a
few thoughts for those who don't feel you can sign up to be actively involved in any specific ministry. There are
"light duty" things all of us can do in many of these areas. Now certainly no one can do all this. Even if we
had a full time Caregiver Minister, it would be too much for one person. But together, if we function as the body
of Christ, there's no telling what can be done!
1. Bereavement - Visitation, cards, funeral.
2. Card & Letter Writers - Anyone can do this;
phone calls.
3. Good Samaritan - Bring one can, the first
Sunday every month, participate.
4. Grapevine -I know Marilyn can use more callers.
5. Home Improvement.
6. Home Health Care - Dyan is glad to be called
upon.
7. Hospital - I think that anytime we have
someone in the hospital that they should get a visit every day.
8. Hospitality - Not used very often, but when we
need it, we need it.
9. In Touch - This is a real ministry . . .
10. Welcome Team -We can all greet people, talk to
visitors.
11. And I would like to add a Visitation Team. We
have several people no longer able to attend services. I think they should have a visit every week.
Now I realize some of you may not be particularly gifted in any of these areas. Some of you may
already be actively involved in some other ministry for the Lord. That's okay, and that's good. But that
doesn't get any of us off the hook. Even if we're not gifted in any of these ministries, even if we're
already active in other ministries, we can still function as part of the body, loving and serving one
another. You may not excel in any of these ministries, but you can still serve, to a lesser degree.
I still believe every one of us can be actively involved in caring for the church body! And I
believe this would please the Lord!
Back to Sermons