The Joy of Sharing the Good News

W O R L D S E R V IC E S 2 016

WEEK 1 INTRODUCTION TO SERMON AND THE FOUR-WEEK SERMON SERIES

SCRIPTURE Luke 7: 1-10 (NIV)

“I am now able to support myself, send my children to school, and I have dignity and respect in the community.” These were the words of a woman from Bangladesh. What made this possible? With the help of The Salvation Army, a group of women came together and handcrafted special gift items. The life-changing results came when the sales of their goods were highly successful.

KEY VERSE Luke 7:3 (NIV)

The centurion heard of Jesus.

There are thousands of similar stories of people in Kenya, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Moldova who are linked to Salvation Army corps and social ministries and whose products are handcrafted for sale around the world. This Salvation Army program is known as “Others – Trade for Hope.” Who would ever imagine that a purchase made here in the United States could help change someone’s life in another part of the world? It can! What is taking place in this Salvation Army program is a beautiful illustration of a spiritual lesson we can learn today: We can find joy in sharing our faith and compassion with “others” at home and overseas. As we begin our Salvation Army World Services program, we will focus on our ability and willingness to bless “others.” For the next four weeks, we will center our attention on a story about Jesus’s encounter with someone who was considered to be an outsider. We are going to learn that the “others” – those who are outside of our circle of friends and family – can be wonderfully impacted by our testimony and by our faithfulness. After all, with The Salvation Army serving in 127 countries, we have a way to be involved with sharing the very Gospel that Jesus said would have worldwide impact. In fact, we can look forward to a great worldwide gathering of the people of God. Jesus describes it in Matthew 8 as “God’s Kingdom Banquet.” Imagine the joy of being part of a ministry that helps “others” respond to the Gospel so they get to be invited to “God’s Kingdom Banquet,” too – “others” being blessed by my life and testimony!

JOY COMES FROM TELLING OTHERS ABOUT MY FAITH The Bible tells the story of a centurion. He was a powerful Roman soldier, a Legionnaire with 100 men under his command. But he wasn’t Jewish, and he was considered to be an outsider by the people in the community. This soldier took care to see that synagogues were maintained for the Jews. This made for a good relationship with the local citizens and this outsider. On the day we are introduced to him, despite his power and position, he was desperate. A servant he valued highly was sick and near death. He was in a panic. And at his time of need, there were those who cared for him, and that made all the difference. There are five words in the story of the centurion that are key to what we want to learn today. They are found in Luke 7:3: “The centurion heard of Jesus.” Somebody told him about Jesus! You could read that so quickly that you wouldn’t give it a second thought. But today, it is important to be reminded that in our routine and our day-to-day lives, we have something important to discuss. Who are the people you meet in an ordinary day? How can you share Jesus with them? Sharing our faith can happen naturally, maybe even with an outsider. Remember the centurion. There were some people he had met who talked about Jesus. It impressed the centurion so much that at his time of need, he looked for Jesus. Again, somebody told him about Jesus! Today we are allowed to be partners in God’s mission. Someone could seek out Jesus because of the way you live and the way you

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The Joy of Sharing the Good News speak. Ask yourself, “What do my everyday conversations and interactions tell people about my faith? Do other people realize that I love Jesus?” The Psalmist wrote: “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so.” (Psalm 107:2, KJV) This is something we should be doing. Think about it. There are people, “others,” who are uncomfortable going to church or who just assume that being a Christian is not relevant to their lives. To them, it doesn’t matter. There are people who have no sense of spiritual things. You may be part of the lives of these people, even briefly. If they see something different in the way you live, you just might be the one to cause them to consider spiritual matters. Perhaps you will learn about a special need in someone’s family. You can come alongside them. Your willingness to spend time with them, or to help them, may offer just the comfort and assurance they need. God may use you to be a blessing. Just your presence can be, for those in need, a way for sacred things to become real in their lives. The chorus of a song says:

“To be used of God, to sing, to speak, to pray; To be used of God to show someone the way.” It concludes with these words,

“To be used of God is my desire.” What joy is ours when God uses us! From our story, we know that, “The centurion heard of Jesus.” And if you say “to be used of God is my desire,” who has heard about Jesus because of you?

JOY FLOWS WHEN “OTHERS” REACH OUT TO JESUS Imagine the excitement felt by those who had conversations about Jesus with this centurion! They knew that the soldier had listened to them and that now he was asking Jesus for help. “As Jesus entered the village of Capernaum, a Roman captain came up in a panic and said, ‘Master, my servant is sick. He can’t walk. He’s in terrible pain.’”(Matthew 8:5-6 MSG) He asked Jesus for help! This outsider asked Jesus for help! Those who had shared the message of Jesus with this centurion knew this was because they had done so. They had shared with him stories of how Jesus had healed and helped people. As the soldier was pleading for his sick servant, they probably wondered, “What is going to happen now?” There was excitement and anticipation. Imagine what it was like. There is joy when we see “others” reach out to Jesus! Bring it forward to today. If you have spoken about your faith, what a blessing you receive if it results in someone listening to you and seeking out Jesus! Let’s get specific. Remember I said there are people, “others,” who are uncomfortable going to church? Yet we still want them to know about Jesus. How wonderful if you could be their contact, the link the Holy Spirit uses to help them to seek out Jesus for themselves. Someone is struggling with an issue in his or her life, and the kindness of a Christian may cause that person to think about a spiritual solution. They might even ask you to help them reach out to God. Prayer, faith and Scripture may be new to them. Great joy is ours when someone in need reaches out to Christ, and we are able to be of help. Remember, “The centurion heard of Jesus.” The question is, “Who has the Lord brought to your mind today, and how can you help them find Jesus for themselves?” In our story, because someone told the centurion about so many who were being blessed, he seeks out Jesus himself, and as a result something wonderful takes place. In response to the soldier’s request, “Jesus said, ‘I’ll come and heal him.’” (Matthew 8:7 MSG) Even though he was considered to be a non-religious outsider by the people, the centurion was actually discovering faith for himself. We know it, because he reached out to Jesus. What a joy it must have been for those who had spoken to him about Jesus, knowing that when this man reached out, Jesus responded! Have your words guided anyone as they were turning to Jesus for help? WEEK 1 SERMON

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The Joy of Sharing the Good News JOY SPRINGS WHEN “OTHERS” DEMONSTRATE GREAT FAITH You are happy to tell “others” about Jesus and blessed when they reach out to seek Him for themselves. And when they can give evidence of their own newly discovered faith in Christ, we praise God. What happened next in our story was remarkable. Remember Jesus said, speaking of the centurion’s servant, “I’ll come and heal him.” What did the centurion say to Jesus? “Oh, no. I don’t want to put you to all that trouble. Just give the order and my servant will be fine. I’m a man who takes orders and gives orders. I tell one soldier, ‘Go,’ and he goes; to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” (Matthew 8:8-9 MSG) For the centurion, because of his leadership background, he could recognize strength and power and authority. He saw this in Jesus. He accepted Christ’s power. Instead of being in charge, the centurion placed himself under the orders Jesus would give. He believed the testimony he had heard about Jesus, and now he could say, “Just speak the word, Jesus!” General Orsborn penned a prayer poem based on this kind of amazing faith. He wrote:

“Say but the word, thy servant shall be healed, I shall be loosed from my infirmity;” The concluding verse of the poem captured what the Roman soldier understood:

“Thine is the name whereon I cry, believing; Thine is the love that sees and pities me; Thine is the power and mine the faith receiving Cleansing and healing, life and liberty.” The centurion said, “Just say the word,” and then Matthew 8:10 (NIV) tells us, “When Jesus heard this, He was amazed.” Different translations use these words describing Jesus’s reaction: marveled, impressed, surprised, astonished, stunned. Obviously, the centurion demonstrated a remarkable faith of his own, faith in the power of God revealed in Jesus. The Bible records, “Then Jesus turned to the captain and said, ‘Go. What you believed could happen, has happened.’ At that moment his servant became well.” (Mathew 8:13 MSG) Can you imagine how those who told the centurion about Jesus felt at that moment? We feel that kind of joy when we witness someone expressing his or her newfound faith in Christ. They bless our hearts. They have taken a life-changing step. It may have taken place at an altar, or in the privacy of their home. Such conversions have always been part of the reason for the infectious joy of The Salvation Army. We encourage new believers, understand they may have powerful faith, and we want them to express it. Catherine Booth, co-founder of The Salvation Army, understood the power of “others” demonstrating their newly found great faith in Christ. She said: “. . . give me man, woman or child with the Holy Ghost, full of love and zeal for God, and I say it would be a real strength and joy to that convert to testify to the church. The Lord is not going to evangelize this land by finished sermons and (dissertations), but by the simple testimony of people saved from sin and the devil, by His power and His grace. He is going to do it as He began, by witnessing.” She knew that genuine faith is powerful! When Phillip preached in Samaria, and the people responded to the Gospel, Acts 8:8 (The Voice) tells us, “The city was swept with joy.” How the response to the Gospel (and the joy throughout the city) must have blessed the preacher’s heart! This is the joy about which we speak. What an encouragement new Christians are to us. Do you understand that they are no longer outsiders? They, too, can have great faith! They will be just as welcome to God’s Kingdom Banquet as we are, as a result of the work of God in their lives.

APPLICATION Today, you need to find a way to share your knowledge of Jesus with “others.” When people encounter you, what is the result? Do they know more about your political preferences, or the kind of music you like than your faith? Do you only speak to people who are like you, or can you see how God wants to bless those outside your immediate circle? Just like the example of “Others – Trade for Hope” has its place in reaching the world, so do you. WEEK 1 SERMON

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The Joy of Sharing the Good News There are spiritual opportunities before you today. Will you take advantage of them? Who does the Holy Spirit bring to your mind that might be in need of your encouragement today? Who is the person that has “heard about Jesus” because of your interactions – someone who has had an introduction like the centurion of whom it was said, “heard about Jesus”? Have you recognized the spiritual opportunities before you, for example have you helped our overseas officers tell “others” about Jesus because you have given financially to support them? Great fulfillment is waiting for Christians whose joy is found when “others” respond to the Gospel and who have respect for the testimony of those with newfound faith. It might be that words like “marveled,” “impressed,” “surprised,” “astonished” and “stunned” describe the way Jesus acknowledges the faith of these new believers. What an encouragement their faith is to our ministry! Remember, “The centurion heard of Jesus.” Remember the joy that comes from reaching out to “others” with the good news of the Gospel is beyond compare!

SONGS AND CHORUSES SASB 846/222

“I Love to Tell the Story”

SASB 852/891

“I Want to Tell You What the Lord has Done”

SASB 717/729

“Let the Beauty of Jesus Be Seen in Me” (Chorus)

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Children’s Time Ideas

W O R L D S E R V IC E S 2 016

WEEK 1 Do you know any stories about Jesus?

(Note to storyteller: Let them briefly tell you which ones they know. Ask how they learned these stories.)

SHARE A BIBLE STORY: There was a man that Jesus helped and healed after he had been sick a very long time. He was very happy to feel good again. He went to Jesus and asked if he could travel with Him and be with Him all the time. What do you think Jesus said to him? Jesus said NO! Why would he say that? Jesus said, “No, go home to your family, and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful He has been.” And the Bible tells us, “So the man . . . began to proclaim the great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed at what he told them.” (Mark 5:19-20 NLT) Jesus wanted the man to tell the people he knew and those he met all about what God had done for him.

TELLING OTHERS ABOUT JESUS To go along with the sermon, “The Joy of Sharing the Good News”

These Children’s time ideas correspond to the themes of the Holiness Meeting “God’s Kingdom Banquet” sermon series. Gather the children around you each week and get them involved in the conversation.

How can we tell someone about Jesus today? Can we talk about Him at home with our family? Can you talk to anybody else about Jesus? He wants us to tell others about Him so they learn all the stories about Him, too.

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