Harpeth Community Church

Too Tired & Stressed To Do Good? 

Mark 6:30-44 -  Missional Series ( #2 of 5)

Attractional Church/Christians Missional Church/Christians

Come and See Go and Be (like Jesus)

Tell the Gospel Show and Tell the Gospel

Come to Building, programs, staff, services Go Love, serve, and meet needs

Worship at the church Worship by your life

Proclamation and Teaching Good Works and Good News

Join us for Religious Services Go to the people, serve their needs

Ministry by Professional “Ministers” Ministry by Everyday Christians

Pastors/Ministers are gifted to serve us All Christians are gifted for service

HCC Plans . . . 

Identify the needs of the community and start ministries or programs to meet those needs.

Partner with existing human-service agencies that are already accomplishing a shared mission in the community.

Biblical Teaching . . . 

Dueteronomy 15:7-10 - If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother. Rather be openhanded and freely lend him whatever he needs.  . .   Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to.  

Proverbs 21:13 If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered.

Proverbs 28:27 He who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses.

Proverbs 29: 7  - The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern.

Proverbs 31:8-9  - "Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy." 

Isaiah 1:15-17 - When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you; even if you offer many prayers,  I will not listen.  . . . learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow. 

Isaiah 58: 6-10  -"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?  . . . . and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. 

James 1: 27 - Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Mark 10: 43-45  - whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.  For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

My Personal Plans . . . 

My Time is    limited        .

I am going to be     busy      .

I    must decide     how my time will be spent.

I must make Jesus and His Ways my    top time-priority       .

Some of us need to focus on the poor and needy.

All of us must plan to help the poor and needy. 

When both my church and I  make  our plans and commitments.

When both my church and I   plan  our yearly budgets.

When both my church and I  develop  our weekly schedules.

When we plan our  vacations  .

A Future Vision for the Poor and Oppressed (edited from Brian McLeran) . . . 

Christians are the people who gravitate toward the poor and who show compassion through generous action and seek justice so that the systemic causes of poverty are overcome.  They call the rich to generosity, and they call on rich nations to work for the common good.

Christians are the ones who love people, whoever they are – gay or straight, Jew or Muslim, religious or atheist, capitalist or not, conservative or liberal.

Christians are the ones who have done more than anyone in the world to stop the HIV/AIDS crisis.

Christians care for the environment.  They don’t just see it as raw materials for economic gain, but they see it as the precious handiwork of their Creator.

Christians have personal integrity.  They keep their marriage vows and are aware of how destructive misused sexuality can be.  Yet they are compassionate toward people who make sexual mistakes, and they never consider themselves superior.

Christians build harmony among races.  You always know that you’ll be respected when you’re around a Christian.

Small Group Questions:

What was the high point of your past week?

Read and review the scriptures on the poor.  Which one stands out the most to you personally and why?

How have you personally done in the area of remembering the poor with your money? With your time? 

Which recommendation giving in the teaching was most helpful to you?  Explain why.

Review the “Future Vision for the Poor and Oppressed.”  Do you like this statement? What would it take for our church to make this vision a reality? What would it take for you to help make this vision a reality?

How can we pray for each other this coming week?