November 11, 2007
Rev. Terry D. Campbell
Financial Stewardship Sunday

Christian Care-givers
2 Timothy 4:2-5

“Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. ³For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. ⁴They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. ⁵But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.”

The good news is that talking about the “scary” role Christians are over. We’ve passed the apostle, prophet and evangelist. Pastoring-type Christians help make a congregation a Christian home and family where we can find shelter from the world, spiritual nourishment and be renewed to move back out into the fray. As one of the five-fold ministry roles Jesus put within congregations, the pastor-role Christians are concerned with and engage in spiritual oversight and care for a specific group of Christians. This is not the same as the position of Pastor to lead a local congregation.

Pastoring-types are not pioneer-types, but settlers, generally building on someone else’s spadework. They look at people with a tender heart, seeing needs, providing comfort and encouraging people. They spend most of their time with Christians and building within a congregation.

I. Continually communicate the Scriptural way of living.

Before being called Christians, we believers were called “The Way.” “The Way” is the way of living proclaimed by Jesus Christ and recorded in the Bible.

Continually communicating the Scriptural way of living is the Christian care-giver’s foundation for all they do. They challenge people’s views of life derived from their up-bringing or values prominent in a local community so people can discover a well-reasoned understanding life from God’s written word. That means pasturing-role Christians need to be students of the Bible so that they can guide others in ways pleasing to God.

We need correction because doing what comes naturally is usually not God’s way. James 4:1-3-“What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? ²You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. ³When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” Human desire—needs to be understood, re-shaped, and re-focused.

An example of growing into a Jesus way of living is in the area of financial stewardship. We naturally want to hang on to our money or use it for personally benefiting things. Jesus teaches us that God enables us to earn or receive money for ourselves but also so that we can bless others who are in need. The sooner we understand that, the freer we feel and the stronger our faith grows. Pastor-role Christians remind us of that and a variety of other things so that we look more and more like Jesus. Keep putting forth God’s word!

II. Care enough to hold each of them accountable.

It says in Romans 14:12-“So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.” Since that it true, it is good to have people in this world to help us prepare for that day—and who hold us accountable for our actions—even rebuking us when we mess up today. Obviously, this will best be received in a relationship of caring and intimacy. Again, this is the work of pastor-type Christians and small groups of Christians committed to each other.

This is one of the biggest changes from the time of John Wesley’s Methodist to our Methodism today. We tend to NOT challenge each other today. We’re not prone to ask—or even think about, “How is it with your soul?” But we still need it!

One of the best ways to encourage this kind of deeper, more effective interaction is in small groups of people. That is why each congregation needs dozen upon dozens of pastor-type Christians. Groups sized from one-on-one up to however many a pastor-type Christian can maintain a close relationship with are where they can do their ministry. Church growth experts say that even a professional pastor can be in serious relationship with no more than between 75 to 125 people for intimate pasturing ministry. That is why the larger a congregation gets, the more important the role of small groups and the pastor-role Christians become to the health of a congregation.

1 Cor. 3:3-“For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men?” Accountability!

1 Cor. 5:12-13-“What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? ¹³God will judge those outside. ‘Expel the wicked man from among you.’” (There are other many other things to try first.)

“How is it with your soul?” Pastor-role Christians are those who care enough about people to not let them drift off into the problems of sin, but are willing to risk holding each of them accountable. They help keep the Body of Christ disease free and health!

III. Enthusiastically encourage one another.

“Encourage one another!” We all could use a cheerleader or two, especially when the going gets tough for us. Pastor-role Christians show us the example of this kind of support so that everyone feel valued and that they are not alone in the Way of Christ.

Col. 3:13-“Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”

Col. 3:16-“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.”

Hebrews 3:13-“But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.”

Pastor-role Christians lead us to remember to encourage each other for walking in “The Way.”

IV. Do your part to expand the Faith.

I’m looking forward to Thanksgiving because my side of the family will be gathered and have a day together. It is good when we get together with those who know and care about us. That should be the effect of the congregation. Pastor-role Christians have the goal to make that happen, not just for those who are already home, but also for those who need to come home.

Pastor-type Believers have a part to play to multiply the number of Christians. They should keep reaching out the hug of God’s arms to include the next one and the next one and . . . An activity: Have 3 people come up and form a huddle—and have a 4th person standing alone outside—how do they feel? Even with big group, feel’s better to be in than better to be on outside.) Going to a small group Bible Study got my Dad converted and transformed our family’s life. This is the joy of Christian caregivers.

What will you do now?

Let me put on my professional pastor’s hat now and say that it is time for us to be Christians in Action—the theme for our financial stewardship campaign. You are important! It is through your support that we are able to serve Christ, do His work and make an impact in Hancock County, Indiana. The work of the kingdom of God is before us. I now call us to be Christians in action! Please bring forward your pledge cards now. Amen.