Forsyth United Methodist Church News
20 April 2008

This Weeks Scripture:

Acts 6:1-7

The Choosing of the Seven

 In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, "It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word."

 This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.

 So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.

This Weeks Sermon:

The First Office Bearers

The parable of the wheat and the weeds is the Lord Jesus' own prediction of conditions in the church during the age between his first coming and his second. The whole series of parables there in Matthew 13 describes this, but in the parable of the wheat and the weeds he said particularly that he, the son of Man, would begin by sowing in the field of the world those who would have the life of God in them, the sons of the kingdom. Shortly thereafter would appear certain signs of evil put there by the devil. The devil would also sow, he said, and do his sowing amidst the wheat so that right in the middle of the wheat would grow up weeds. In the book of Acts we are tracing the historical fulfillment of Jesus' prediction. In this book we have seen the wheat springing up in the midst of the world -- men and women filled with the Spirit of God, equipped by the Spirit with gifts of ministry -- who, in trust and dependence upon the life of God in them, break out upon the city of Jerusalem with tremendous impact and power. They are not afraid, they are not discouraged, they are completely confident that God has already won the battle, and they move out to bear witness to the truth of things as they really are.

These men were elected by the congregation, and then were called before the apostles who laid their hands upon them. That indicates that the apostles were identifying with their ministries. In the Old Testament, whenever a Hebrew brought a lamb or a bull or any animal to be sacrificed he first laid his hands upon it, by which he said, "This animal and I are identified. My sins are laid upon him and his blood shed for me is as my own blood being shed." In other words, it is a very dramatic way of saying to God, "There is nothing in me that merits anything in your sight. I have lost my life before you. I have nothing to offer." It is exactly the same truth that we learn in the New Testament. We do not come offering God anything. We come as guilty, lost, hopeless sinners saying, "Lord Jesus, you must save me. I can do nothing to save myself." That is what the Old Testament practice of the laying on of hands meant.

Word of the Week:

Bishop

An overseer. In apostolic times, it is quite manifest that there was no difference as to order between bishops and elders or presbyters. The term bishop is never once used to denote a different office from that of elder or presbyter. These different names are simply titles of the same office, "bishop" designating the function, namely, that of oversight, and "presbyter" the dignity appertaining to the office. Christ is figuratively called "the bishop [episcopos] of souls" (1 Peter 2:25).

United Methodist Bishops preside over geographic areas of ministry, known as annual conferences, and supervise the appointment and ministry of each of the conference's clergy and the mission and ministry of each of the conference congregations. The Bishops of The United Methodist Church, both individually and collectively through the Council of Bishops, provide spiritual leadership to more than 11 million United Methodists in a broad range of settings on four continents, including North America, Europe, Africa and Asia. The current spiritual leader of the North Georgia Annual Conference is Bishop G. Lindsey Davis.

Prayer of the Week:

Heavenly Father, we are impressed anew by this story of the early church and its ministry, and we know that we are still living in the age of the Spirit and the age of the church. We ask that you will use us in this same way today. Root out from among us all causes of dissension and strife, stop any murmuring that is going on among us, and stop us, Lord, from being pretentious, deceitful, hypocritical, pretending to be without problems when we have them, trying to hide things and not let anyone know what is going on, for you have judged all of this, Lord. We ask you to make us loving, and honest and open, in Jesus' name, Amen.

Question of the Week:

What is Christian Missions?

 

Christian missions is following Christ’s call: sharing the Gospel with the lost world through God’s wisdom and strength.

Christian missions is obeying Christ
After Christ’s death and resurrection, He commanded the disciples to share the Gospel, the message of His redemption. "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19-20).

This Great Commission applies to Christians today. Rather than a burden, obeying His call brings joy and reward in heaven. We should fulfill our mission not out of duty but love: “For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, that they who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf. . . . Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:14-21).

God could convert everyone using a blinding light and the voice of Christ as He did with the apostle Paul. Instead, He gives Christians the mission of reconciliation (Acts 1:8-9). He works through us, calling sinners to turn to Christ in repentance and faith.

Christian missions is sharing Christ
Our mission is proclaiming Christ as the only way to abundant, eternal life. Whom do we tell? Jesus made it clear that Christians are to reach out to “all the nations” (Matthew 28:19). Instead of countries, he was referring to people groups, those ethnic cultures without a Gospel witness.

Christian missions, however, is not limited to overseas ministry. While believers should faithfully support those who go to the unreached, all Christians have the mission to share Christ on the home field with family, friends, coworkers, and the community.

The Christian mission of sharing Christ does not end with a sinner’s salvation. The commission was to make disciples – not immature believers. Thus, Christian missions involves not only evangelism but also discipleship.

Christian missions is relying on Christ
Sharing the Gospel humbly, boldly, and passionately is our Christian mission. But we cannot do it alone. While our mission is sharing Christ, the power and results come from the Lord. He gives us the wisdom, strength, and desire to witness! Through our witness, He works repentance and faith in the sinner’s heart (2 Corinthians 5:20-21).

Although it is God's work, Christians are responsible to understand the Gospel and have a strong relationship with Christ. Such a relationship guards them from hypocrisy. “But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. (1 Peter 3:15-16). Jesus assured that suffering would accompany missions, but God uses it for good.

In sum, Christian missions is obeying Christ, sharing Christ, and relying on Christ. Specifically, God sends missionaries through the support of the church to the unreached. All Christians, however, have the mission of reconciliation. The Lord works through them to rescue the lost. What greater mission can one answer?