Harpeth Community Church

Who is Our Neighbor?

Teaching Outline - Luke 10: 25-37

Missional Series ( #1 of 5)

The story of the Good Samaritan . . . 

Ron Sellers of Ellison Research (Phoenix, AZ), “fewer than 1 out of 10 Protestant churches offer any kind of free or low-cost day care services, abortion or pregnancy counseling, domestic violence programs, English language classes, job skills or job training, or adult literacy or reading classes.” 

Galatians 6: 9- 10  - Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

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."

Acts 10: 36-38 -You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. You know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached—how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.

So, if we fulfill our purpose and become true followers of Jesus, like him, we will be servants . . we will give our lives in service of others . . . we will go around doing good . . 

What kind of neighbors will we be?

What is Missional - A Short Answer  "Jesus told us to go into all the world and be his ambassadors, but many churches today have inadvertently changed the "go and be" command to a "come and see" appeal. We have grown attached to buildings, programs, staff and a wide variety of goods and services designed to attract and entertain people. . . . "Missional is a helpful term used to describe what happens when you and I replace the "come to us" invitations with a "go to them" life. A life where "the way of Jesus" informs and radically transforms our existence to one wholly focused on sacrificially living for him and others and where we adopt a missionary stance in relation to our culture. It speaks of the very nature of the Jesus follower." ---Rick Meigs

Attractional Church Missional Church

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 Christians are all gifted for service

Missional Churches . . . 

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.

Teaching on January 13^th –Too Tired & Stressed To Do Good? (Mark 6:30-44)  Missional Series ( #2 of 5)