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Sermon outline
03 Healthy Churches are Outwardly Missional: Evangelism, Transforming Communities, Globally Engaged (Acts 1:6-8, Micah 6:9)
Churches without Outward Missions Die
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- Church history is riddled with examples of churches that died as a result of not having an external focus
But Healthy Churches are Outwardly Missional
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- The Book of Acts
- Acts begins with the disciples asking a very self-focused Question of Jesus (Acts 1:6)
- But notice Jesus’ answer to their question and then his reorientation of their focus. (Acts 1:7-8, Jn 17:3)
- The story of Pentecost (Acts 2:8-11)
- The Ethiopian Eunuch (Acts 8:26ff)
- Saul’s story (Acts 9)
- Cornelius (Acts 10)
- The scattered (Acts 11:19-21)
- The sending of Paul and Barnabas (Acts 13:1ff)
- The Book of Acts
Healthy Churches seek Community Transformation
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- There is a second prong of a healthy church’s outward focus and that is related to community transformation.
- What do we mean when we talk of Community Transformation?
- In truth, there is not a lot of NT scripture for this, but there is some( Lk 10:25-37, Acts 5:14-16, 8:26)
- But there is significant OT support for ministry that supports the needy (Gen 12:1-3, Lev 19:9, Dt 24:17, 26:12, Micah 6:8, Is 61:1-2)
- Healthy Churches are concerned with those who suffer.
- There is a second prong of a healthy church’s outward focus and that is related to community transformation.
Application
- How are we doing in being local and global?
- Three Metrics
- Monetary standpoint
- Prayer perspective
- Ministry perspective
- How are we doing in keeping Word and Deed central in our ministry outside these walls?
- How are we doing in intentionally proclaiming Jesus to those who have yet to hear?
- Three Metrics
- How might we improve?
- Money for Missions (Mt 6:21)
- 7 questions from the Multiplication Network:
- Our church participates in world mission efforts.
- Our church has a clear plan to reach the community with the Good News of the Kingdom.
- Our church is active in building relationships with the unbelievers of our community.
- Our church trains and equips its members to give witness in the community.
- I’ve been personally trained to contribute to the evangelistic efforts of the church.
- I feel personally involved in the evangelistic task of our congregation.
- I can identify new people in our church who came in the past year as a result of my evangelistic efforts.
- As individuals, we need to reflect on our own time commitments, and ask
- Am I involved in ministry to those who do not know Jesus in the community?
- Am I speaking his name regularly in my volunteer opportunities?
- Am I willing to learn and change if I don’t do this?
- As we close today, I know that there has been a lot of challenge.
- I want you to be encouraged.
- Christ is driving all of this.
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