Community Covenant Church - Sunday Celebrations

October 17, 2004

“Defining Our Purpose #4 - To Demonstrate”
Matthew 22:37-40; John 13:34-35; Galatians 5:13-16

The purpose of the Church is:
To Communicate the Gospel
To Incorporate New Believers into the Body of Christ/Church
To Educate All Christians in walking
in the ways of Jesus Christ,

and, as we will see next week,
To Celebrate God, and the life he offers, through worship.

But today, we consider another purpose, and that purpose is
To Demonstrate.

And immediately you know what I’m talking about, don’t you? Don’t you?
suspect not.... for while my word-play might help us to remember of purposes:
Communicate, Incorporate, Educate, Demonstrate & Celebrate....
their meanings might be a little vague.

So this morning I though we would would pretend to be “cub” reporters, out to “get the story” on this “purpose”, by asking the foundational questions:
Who?
What?
Where?
When? and
Why?
1. Who is called to Demonstrate?
You are called to demonstrate, I am called to demonstrate. Our message today, like the previous three Sundays and next week’s as well, are messages to Christians.
- If you are not a Christian, I’m glad you’re here, and I hope you welcome this message, but it is not designed for you.
- If you are a Christian who is committed to another church family, this message is for you, though you will have to translate some of the applications to your church setting.

Christians are called to “demonstrate” because we were designed by God to make contributions, and not just consume resources during our years on earth.
We are called to be God’s Children who “Demonstrate”... “who point out... who establish as true... who explain or illustrate... who show or prove publicly something very important. (Citation: Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary)

We read in

Ephesians 2:10
For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus
to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Because of your connection with Christ, you are called to demonstrate something important. Do you feel qualified to be a part of God’s work? If not, then consider the description of equally-qualified people listed in Rick Warren’s Purpose Driven Life book (p. 233)

Abraham was old, Jacob was insecure, Leah was unattractive, Joseph was abused, Moses stuttered, Gideon was poor, Samson was codependent, Rahab was immoral, David had an affair and all kinds of family problems, Elijah was suicidal, Jeremiah was depressed. Jonah was reluctant, Naomi was a widow, John the Baptist was eccentric to say the least, Peter was impulsive and hot-tempered, Martha worried a lot, , the Samaritan woman had several failed marriages, Zacchaeus was unpopular, Thomas had doubts, Paul had poor health, and Timothy was timid. That is quite a variety of misfits,
but God used each of them in his service.

Who is called to Demonstrate? >> Those who follow the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ are called to demonstrate. Which of course begs the question:
2. What are we to Demonstrate?
In a word... Love. We are called to demonstrate God’s love into the lives of others.

When Jesus expanded upon the tradition Jewish SCHEMA by defining a second commandment, we see how Jesus came to “fulfill the law” by adding that “horizontal” dimension to our love... a love for other human beings. Matthew records Jesus’ core teaching:

Matthew 22:37-40
.... ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Our calling to demonstrate God’s love into the lives of others is such a calling to our purpose, that Jesus also taught:

John 13:34-35
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you,
so you must love one another. By this all men will know
that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

The Apostle John saw that demonstration of love not only as a purpose for our being, but as an assurance of our salvation:

1 John 3:14
14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death.

If life was only about our salvation in relationship with God, then God would take us to heaven as soon as we put our trust in His Son. But He doesn’t, does He? And that is because we have purpose, and that purpose is to further God’s Kingdom.
God’s children are called to demonstrate God’s love into the lives of others.

The next question is “when?”....
3. When are we to Demonstrate God’s love?
NOW!
We are to demonstrate God’s love now.

But of course we all know that “now” is rarely convenient. “Later” would work better for my schedule.... how about yours? How many times have we missed the opportunity to love others, because we didn’t make the time to do so? I’m guilty.... and I’m sinful whenever I let that happen.
Through an interesting word written by the Apostle Paul to young Timothy, God speaks to our time-crunched generation of Christians, still trying to be a “good soldier of Jesus Christ”. he writes:

2 Timothy 2:4
4 No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs —
he wants to please his commanding officer.

This is a word that calls our priorities to question. If we don’t have time in our daily schedules to love one another in moments of crisis and need, then who or what is controlling us? Who is our Lord?

I believe that love’s biggest voice today is time.
- Do you have the time to love now?
- Do you have margins in your daily schedule to flex
with the needs of others?
God’s love is a sacrificial love. It is a love that serves others, and now is the time to demonstrate that love.

The Apostle Paul raised a good point to the Galatian Christians about the potential consequences of not choosing to love now:

Galatians 5:13-16

You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature ; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

Now is the time to love others with God’s love, today and tomorrow. Later in Galatians Paul wrote:

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.

This verse helps us find an answer to the next question:
4. Where are we to Demonstrate God’s love?
This question raises for me, a key question for the Church today. For I see at Community Covenant what I see in the Church as a whole... an internal-external debate being played out that is worth all the discussion and bible study we can offer.
It is way too simplistic to categorize differing generations as falling into either those who are internally focused, or those who are externally focused. And it is way to simplistic to categorize one generation as wrong and one that is right.
Where are we to Demonstrate God’s love?
....as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. (Galatians 6:10)

Sometimes, in my own quest for purpose and meaning, my sights become focused on external missions, rather than on internal acts of loving ministry to you, my brothers and sisters in Christ.
I remember when I first interviewed in Omaha, for what was my first full-time pastoral calling, someone asked me a great question; They first stated that my predecessors, Austin Kauffman and Chuck Anderson’s ministries had each had on their own flavor.
- Austin brought his love for nature into his ministry. creating many avenues for “outward bound” adventures.
- Chuck, whom many of your know from Pilgrim Pines, brought his love for music into his ministry.
After setting the stage, this questioner asked me....

“Now, what will your ministry bring to this family of faith?”

As I look back, I see clearly that my ministry brought an outward focus... specifically a passion for, and connectedness with Habitat for Humanity ministries in Omaha, and foreign missions in Mexico.
>>> And as important as that emphasis was for Covenanters in Omaha, and is for us here today, I need to remind myself that where I demonstrate God’s love, is also right here, within this family of faith.
...as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people,
especially to those who belong to the family of believers. (Galatians 6:10)

And how do we show that internal love?
Through acts of servanthood. Calling, caring, cooking, encouraging, praying, teaching, attending, comforting, giving... . Whatever your talents & abilities, your spiritual gifts for ministry, these are the ways we love one another.

We must continue to find that healthy balance loving the world through acts of justice and mercy, and loving one another in the church... for it is that latter sacrificial internal love that will demonstrate to the world that we are followers of Christ.

Finally,
5. Why are we to Demonstrate God’s love?
Again, the answer is simple.

1 John 4:19
We love because he first loved us.

Why we demonstrate God’s love, speaks to our motivation... and we all know the need for motivation. All the knowledge and wisdom of the world is useless, without motivation to enact it. This is why for Christians, it all comes back to the cross. For how do Christians respond to the most radical and sacrificial love of God for them? How do you?

After offering his praise to God, Paul wrote in Romans:

Romans 12:1
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy,
to offer your bodies as living sacrifices,
holy and pleasing to God —this is your spiritual act of worship.

Our motivation for loving others is not that of this world, who might “love” others if there were financial gain or prestigue to be gained.
Our “why?”.... our motivation..... is what we have already been granted: SALVATION.
Like the Apostle Peter’s mother who, when healed by Christ, responded by getting up and waiting on Jesus (Matthew 8:15) we too demonstrate our love for others as a response to what Jesus has done for us.

As Children of God we are called to demonstrate God’s love now, both within the church and in the world, because God has poured out His love for us in Jesus Christ.
Our choice is as clear as Paul’s words in...(Romans 2:7-8)

Romans 2:7-8
He will give eternal life to those who persist in doing what is good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers. But he will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and practice evil deeds.

This week, let you life demonstrate God love.

Rather than asking
“Are my needs being met?”, let us ask
“Whose needs can I meet right now?”

Demonstrate God’s love and fulfill a great purpose for living.
Together, let us demonstrate God’s love,
and fulfill a great purpose of the Church. Amen