DOING THE RIGHT THING

#1 · October 27, 2009, 3:03 pm

Quote from Forum Archives on October 27, 2009, 3:03 pm
Posted by: bhfbc <bhfbc@...>
DOING THE RIGHT THING

October 25, 2009

TEXT: 2 Timothy 1:3-14

I want you to locate the bulletin insert titled Abolishing Human Trafficking. The second paragraph reads, Through missionaries and global consultants, IM brings education, vocational training, therapy and the love of Jesus Christ to victims and those at-risk of being victimized. Mary had that need when, at the age of 11, she was released from a brothel in Bangkok, Thailand. She entered the New Life Center, directed by IM missionary Karen Smith, where she was transformed, going from forced prostitution as a child to church leadership as an adult! That strikes me as an awesome testimony of the transforming power and deliverance of God through Jesus Christ.

I refer to this insert because in support of the World Mission Offering in 2001, the Reverend John Sundquist, former executive director of International Ministries of the American Baptist Churches, sent a letter that introduced a video about the deliverance of a young Thai girl named Waan who had been delivered from a life in the go-go bars in Thailand. I dont have a great memory that allowed me to remember all this; its because Im a pack-rat and happened to run across the material again as I reviewed World Mission Offering resources. Anyway, back to Waan. She was a type of indentured servant there, having to work at the bars until the debt incurred by a brother had been paid off. I dont know if this is the same woman or not, but I find it fascinating that eight years ago issues of human trafficking were being brought to the surface by Christian missionaries, and now we are in our second year of supporting efforts of the American Baptist Women Ministries to minister to those trapped in this evil form of slavery. This is an example of what I call doing the right thing.

Of course, we witnessed another tragic event in 2001 on September 11^th. Dr. Sundquist wrote: We had prepared this video for you prior to the events of September 11 in an effort to provide one very real example of how God is changing lives throughout the world. Sadly, we have been reminded since then of how thousands of lives can be tragically changed in mere minutes Many people are now asking the questions What can I do? and How can I help?. The response of Christians is to share the love of Christ with others in meaningful ways in order to comfort those in need. I hope that by sharing this video with your congregation, you will remind them that they ARE doing something. They ARE making a difference. Through their support of International Ministries, American Baptists make a difference in the lives of people around the world everyday Such love is proof of Gods unending presence in our lives, and the hope upon which our faith stands strong. (John A. Sundquist, International Ministries letter dated September 26, 2001).

Dr. Sundquists letter reminds me of another testimonial lesson that has stuck with me. A missionary couple speaking in another church made a significant point about ministry. Sometimes doing the right thing in Gods will means being involved in the ministries that are already in place. I think that a reason that this testimony has stuck with me is because so many continuing education events are about new ministries and new programs and new ideas and such. I dont know about you, but coming face to face with new ideas over and over often tires me. Its not that I think that new ideas are bad, but a lot of times I feel like there is plenty going on with ministries already in place. So I have always been grateful for the missionaries reminder that God does honor faithful ministries no matter how long they have been going on.

Another reason I think that this testimony has stuck with me, and the reason that I associate it with Dr. Sundquists letter, is that it is so easy for us, with our human limitations, to feel overwhelmed and defeated and helpless. We still face the impact of terrorism, wars, international threats, economic uncertainty, natural disasters, and who knows what else. In the wake of all this, we have an entire nation saying that we are not helpless but then trying to figure out how not to be helpless. In fact, though, when we are living in obedience to Gods will as shown by Jesus Christ, we ARE doing something; we ARE making a difference; we ARE doing the right thing.

Paul, as he does in all of his letters, makes a case for doing the right thing in verses 8-9: So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life - not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. Then in verse 12: That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.

Here is the Apostle Paul, the great teacher, preacher, and missionary for God, in prison for his efforts. Now most of us no doubt think that being imprisoned place very severe limitations upon us. In fact, that is the purpose of imprisonment! When one goes to jail, it is to keep that person from having the freedom to do the crime again which placed him or her there. A prisoner is helpless to do a lot of things that a free person can do. Yet here is the Apostle Paul, a prisoner, writing as if nothing can hold him back; writing as if he was a victorious soldier coming home from the war. How can he do this? Most simply put, look at verse 7, where he writes, For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. What Paul makes clear is that he is never a prisoner of men, no matter where they put him or what they might do to him, but he is always a willing prisoner of Jesus Christ.

Is this not a truth that needs to be made known today? Have there not been enough things going on in recent history bind any American up in fear for a lifetime? Is there not enough situations going on to make us feel helpless in response? Can we really be as certain of our self-destiny now as we were in the past? Oh yes, there are many, many things happening that help make us hear those things that go bump in the night. But in reality, we are no more helpless now than we were a decade ago, because we have always been helpless. Even the great Apostle was helpless to visit Timothy: Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy.

But in Christ, we are victorious! The transition from in ourselves to in Christ is significant. In Christ, we are victorious to do the will of God, and we are victorious in doing the will of God. This is why our missionaries testimonies motivate us and call us to action. They remind us that we have been doing something and that we are doing something and that that something is the right thing because it is obedient to the loving will of God.

We may not always visibly see the fruits of our support for missions, but they are there, and they are real. The mission stories included in our bulletins this month attest to this. They are stories of Gods victory in the lives of ordinary people as they learn of Gods love through Christian missionaries. One of the historical facts of Christian mission work is that the presence of a Christian mission almost always raises the quality of life in the area it is established. As Christian missionaries preach and teach, and as the local people accept the salvation of Jesus Christ, they overcome many of the fears of demons and other mythical beliefs that have kept them in bondage. They begin to experience healing that leads them to productive lives.

Missionary Betsy Perkins writes, The Bengal-Orissa-Bihar Baptist Churches Association (BOBBCA) is a partner organization with International Ministries. They have a membership of nearly 50,000 believers in 97 churches. It was a joy to meet the organizations General Secretary, Rev. Samaresh Nayak, getting to know him and the ministries he oversees. Each day had been carefully planned by our hosts to show us the whole range of work which they do in the name of Jesus Christ. There was a leadership development conference for church leaders hosted by the Balasore Baptist Church. We attended worship services in two of the larger city churches, spent an evening learning about the womens ministries of the BOBBCA, and visited a mission school. On Sunday morning, a new church building was dedicated in the village of Amdiha. This village had a small group of believers many years ago, but they had stopped meeting for worship and most had fallen back to other religious practices. Then one of the BOBBCA evangelists began to make regular visits to Amdiha to encourage and teach and pray. The thirty members of the new church were delighted to now have a place of worship in their village. The next day we had the privilege of attending a baptism service in a Santal tribal village in the state of West Bengal. We joined the celebrations at the edge of a large, muddy river, where BOBBCA pastors and members of a new house-church in the Kotpada village had gathered, with many other onlookers, to witness eleven young men and women commit their lives to Jesus Christ. After the baptism, the assembled crowd danced in procession back to the house church a mud and thatch hut The cool water was refreshing in the 100 degree heat The Kotpada house-church is the fruit of the labor of BOBBCA evangelists, through the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit. Their pastors and evangelists are able to share the good news of Jesus Christ in the native languages of those who are hearing of this Hope for the first time. They have faced many challenges and restrictions to their work, particularly in the tribal areas of Orissa in the past year. After holding them close in our prayers, it was a special joy to meet these friends in Christ, to get to know them and celebrate their dedicated work for the Lord.

Being able to attend church and to fellowship is commonplace in our lives; praise God. We do not know what it is like to be harassed for the simple act of going to church. Yet this is what many Christian believers face in the tribal areas of India where David and Betsy Perkins and other missionaries serve. But because God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, love and self-control, Christian missionaries have a direct impact on the lives of thousands around the world. And through this same spirit, we have the opportunity to support those missionaries with prayer and giving. As growing, caring, loving disciples of Christ, we should never feel helpless or immobilized with fear. God is just much too powerful for such feelings to overwhelm us and direct our lives.

I invite you to respond to Gods call upon your life. If you have never believed in Jesus as your personal savior, you are invited to make a profession of faith in Jesus Christ. If you need help with this, please come forward in just a moment as we sing our closing hymn, or speak with me or a Christian friend after the service. If there is anyone who needs to improve their walk with the Lord, again, come to the altar for prayer or ask for the Lords strength in your life as we sing our closing hymn. Pray for our missionaries, their ministries, and their families. Support them with a gift given to the World Mission Offering. The offering envelopes for this can be found on the back table. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

Rev. Charles A. Layne

First Baptist Church

PO Box 515

179 W. Broadway

Bunker Hill, IN 46914

765-689-7987

bhfbc@bhfirstbaptist.com

www.bhfirstbaptist.com
-- To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: abesermons-unsubscribe@welovegod.org   

Posted by: bhfbc <bhfbc@...>

October 25, 2009

TEXT: 2 Timothy 1:3-14

I want you to locate the bulletin insert titled Abolishing Human Trafficking. The second paragraph reads, Through missionaries and global consultants, IM brings education, vocational training, therapy and the love of Jesus Christ to victims and those at-risk of being victimized. Mary had that need when, at the age of 11, she was released from a brothel in Bangkok, Thailand. She entered the New Life Center, directed by IM missionary Karen Smith, where she was transformed, going from forced prostitution as a child to church leadership as an adult! That strikes me as an awesome testimony of the transforming power and deliverance of God through Jesus Christ.

I refer to this insert because in support of the World Mission Offering in 2001, the Reverend John Sundquist, former executive director of International Ministries of the American Baptist Churches, sent a letter that introduced a video about the deliverance of a young Thai girl named Waan who had been delivered from a life in the go-go bars in Thailand. I dont have a great memory that allowed me to remember all this; its because Im a pack-rat and happened to run across the material again as I reviewed World Mission Offering resources. Anyway, back to Waan. She was a type of indentured servant there, having to work at the bars until the debt incurred by a brother had been paid off. I dont know if this is the same woman or not, but I find it fascinating that eight years ago issues of human trafficking were being brought to the surface by Christian missionaries, and now we are in our second year of supporting efforts of the American Baptist Women Ministries to minister to those trapped in this evil form of slavery. This is an example of what I call doing the right thing.

Of course, we witnessed another tragic event in 2001 on September 11^th. Dr. Sundquist wrote: We had prepared this video for you prior to the events of September 11 in an effort to provide one very real example of how God is changing lives throughout the world. Sadly, we have been reminded since then of how thousands of lives can be tragically changed in mere minutes Many people are now asking the questions What can I do? and How can I help?. The response of Christians is to share the love of Christ with others in meaningful ways in order to comfort those in need. I hope that by sharing this video with your congregation, you will remind them that they ARE doing something. They ARE making a difference. Through their support of International Ministries, American Baptists make a difference in the lives of people around the world everyday Such love is proof of Gods unending presence in our lives, and the hope upon which our faith stands strong. (John A. Sundquist, International Ministries letter dated September 26, 2001).

Dr. Sundquists letter reminds me of another testimonial lesson that has stuck with me. A missionary couple speaking in another church made a significant point about ministry. Sometimes doing the right thing in Gods will means being involved in the ministries that are already in place. I think that a reason that this testimony has stuck with me is because so many continuing education events are about new ministries and new programs and new ideas and such. I dont know about you, but coming face to face with new ideas over and over often tires me. Its not that I think that new ideas are bad, but a lot of times I feel like there is plenty going on with ministries already in place. So I have always been grateful for the missionaries reminder that God does honor faithful ministries no matter how long they have been going on.

Another reason I think that this testimony has stuck with me, and the reason that I associate it with Dr. Sundquists letter, is that it is so easy for us, with our human limitations, to feel overwhelmed and defeated and helpless. We still face the impact of terrorism, wars, international threats, economic uncertainty, natural disasters, and who knows what else. In the wake of all this, we have an entire nation saying that we are not helpless but then trying to figure out how not to be helpless. In fact, though, when we are living in obedience to Gods will as shown by Jesus Christ, we ARE doing something; we ARE making a difference; we ARE doing the right thing.

Paul, as he does in all of his letters, makes a case for doing the right thing in verses 8-9: So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life - not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. Then in verse 12: That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.

Here is the Apostle Paul, the great teacher, preacher, and missionary for God, in prison for his efforts. Now most of us no doubt think that being imprisoned place very severe limitations upon us. In fact, that is the purpose of imprisonment! When one goes to jail, it is to keep that person from having the freedom to do the crime again which placed him or her there. A prisoner is helpless to do a lot of things that a free person can do. Yet here is the Apostle Paul, a prisoner, writing as if nothing can hold him back; writing as if he was a victorious soldier coming home from the war. How can he do this? Most simply put, look at verse 7, where he writes, For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. What Paul makes clear is that he is never a prisoner of men, no matter where they put him or what they might do to him, but he is always a willing prisoner of Jesus Christ.

Is this not a truth that needs to be made known today? Have there not been enough things going on in recent history bind any American up in fear for a lifetime? Is there not enough situations going on to make us feel helpless in response? Can we really be as certain of our self-destiny now as we were in the past? Oh yes, there are many, many things happening that help make us hear those things that go bump in the night. But in reality, we are no more helpless now than we were a decade ago, because we have always been helpless. Even the great Apostle was helpless to visit Timothy: Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy.

But in Christ, we are victorious! The transition from in ourselves to in Christ is significant. In Christ, we are victorious to do the will of God, and we are victorious in doing the will of God. This is why our missionaries testimonies motivate us and call us to action. They remind us that we have been doing something and that we are doing something and that that something is the right thing because it is obedient to the loving will of God.

We may not always visibly see the fruits of our support for missions, but they are there, and they are real. The mission stories included in our bulletins this month attest to this. They are stories of Gods victory in the lives of ordinary people as they learn of Gods love through Christian missionaries. One of the historical facts of Christian mission work is that the presence of a Christian mission almost always raises the quality of life in the area it is established. As Christian missionaries preach and teach, and as the local people accept the salvation of Jesus Christ, they overcome many of the fears of demons and other mythical beliefs that have kept them in bondage. They begin to experience healing that leads them to productive lives.

Missionary Betsy Perkins writes, The Bengal-Orissa-Bihar Baptist Churches Association (BOBBCA) is a partner organization with International Ministries. They have a membership of nearly 50,000 believers in 97 churches. It was a joy to meet the organizations General Secretary, Rev. Samaresh Nayak, getting to know him and the ministries he oversees. Each day had been carefully planned by our hosts to show us the whole range of work which they do in the name of Jesus Christ. There was a leadership development conference for church leaders hosted by the Balasore Baptist Church. We attended worship services in two of the larger city churches, spent an evening learning about the womens ministries of the BOBBCA, and visited a mission school. On Sunday morning, a new church building was dedicated in the village of Amdiha. This village had a small group of believers many years ago, but they had stopped meeting for worship and most had fallen back to other religious practices. Then one of the BOBBCA evangelists began to make regular visits to Amdiha to encourage and teach and pray. The thirty members of the new church were delighted to now have a place of worship in their village. The next day we had the privilege of attending a baptism service in a Santal tribal village in the state of West Bengal. We joined the celebrations at the edge of a large, muddy river, where BOBBCA pastors and members of a new house-church in the Kotpada village had gathered, with many other onlookers, to witness eleven young men and women commit their lives to Jesus Christ. After the baptism, the assembled crowd danced in procession back to the house church a mud and thatch hut The cool water was refreshing in the 100 degree heat The Kotpada house-church is the fruit of the labor of BOBBCA evangelists, through the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit. Their pastors and evangelists are able to share the good news of Jesus Christ in the native languages of those who are hearing of this Hope for the first time. They have faced many challenges and restrictions to their work, particularly in the tribal areas of Orissa in the past year. After holding them close in our prayers, it was a special joy to meet these friends in Christ, to get to know them and celebrate their dedicated work for the Lord.

Being able to attend church and to fellowship is commonplace in our lives; praise God. We do not know what it is like to be harassed for the simple act of going to church. Yet this is what many Christian believers face in the tribal areas of India where David and Betsy Perkins and other missionaries serve. But because God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, love and self-control, Christian missionaries have a direct impact on the lives of thousands around the world. And through this same spirit, we have the opportunity to support those missionaries with prayer and giving. As growing, caring, loving disciples of Christ, we should never feel helpless or immobilized with fear. God is just much too powerful for such feelings to overwhelm us and direct our lives.

I invite you to respond to Gods call upon your life. If you have never believed in Jesus as your personal savior, you are invited to make a profession of faith in Jesus Christ. If you need help with this, please come forward in just a moment as we sing our closing hymn, or speak with me or a Christian friend after the service. If there is anyone who needs to improve their walk with the Lord, again, come to the altar for prayer or ask for the Lords strength in your life as we sing our closing hymn. Pray for our missionaries, their ministries, and their families. Support them with a gift given to the World Mission Offering. The offering envelopes for this can be found on the back table. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

Rev. Charles A. Layne

First Baptist Church

PO Box 515

179 W. Broadway

Bunker Hill, IN 46914

765-689-7987

bhfbc@bhfirstbaptist.com

http://www.bhfirstbaptist.com

-- To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: abesermons-unsubscribe@welovegod.org