Who are we?Unpacking The Salvation Army’s values

Sermon Notes

The Salvation Army New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga Territory

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

Written by Commissioner Ross KendrewEdited by the Mission Team

2016

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Table of Contents

Introduction................................................................................41. We Put Jesus First...................................................................62. We Care for Others...............................................................133. We Walk the Talk..................................................................194. We Think Holistically.............................................................275. We Offer a Place to Belong...................................................356. We Do the Right Thing..........................................................437. We Support our Army...........................................................51

IntroductionIn 2016, The Salvation Army in New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga

launched a new Territorial Mission Plan under the banner ‘The Army that brings Life.’ The basis of the plan is 1-2-3—we will focus on one purpose and two practices, for three years.

In addition to the new Mission Plan, the Territory has also introduced a set of seven values, derived primarily from our Soldier’s Covenant, that we believe reflect who we are, how we strive to act, and how we make decisions.

This booklet provides a sermon outline for each of the new values, and is the first in a series of sermon outlines and study guides to help you grapple with the new plan and values, their biblical mandates, and how you might apply the Bible’s teaching around the values in your life.

The values are summarised in the image below.

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StructureYou are encouraged to use all or any of these outlines as you

find useful. Each one is designed to take between 10 and 15 minutes, allowing plenty of scope for you to personalise the sermon to reflect your own style and experiences.

In fact, we would ask that you do not preach these sermons word for word, but rather spend time re-writing these for both your own style and for your congregation, to ensure that your sermon is both relevant and engaging.

Each outline follows the same format: Overview: a summary of the sermon’s main idea and the

topics it covers Outline: the actual sermon outline Application: James 1:22 says “But don’t just listen to God’s

word. You must do what it says (NLT).” The application section is key to each sermon, offering ideas as to how listeners might respond and apply the message to their own lives

Other resources: links for further study and ideas for your worship services.

One approach to planning a worship service is to use the time leading up to the sermon to get people thinking about the topic so that they are more receptive to the message. This could be through a thought-provoking introduction, choice of songs for congregational singing, a drama, personal story, vocal or instrumental solo, short clip from a DVD, etc. Some ideas for each meeting are including under worship resources at the end of each sermon.

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SERMON 1

We Put Jesus FirstMatthew 28:19-20

OverviewOur International Mission Statement reminds us that we are

an international movement that is an evangelical part of the universal Christian church. Our message is based on the Bible and our ministry is motivated by the love of God. We proclaim the gospel of Jesus and call for commitment to his cause!

Putting Jesus first is about pursuing a life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ, becoming more like Him, and promoting this life-changing relationship to others.

Expected behaviours: Making Jesus known, Transforming Lives, Following Jesus (Discipleship), Led by the Holy Spirit, Lifestyle of Worship

Bible verses: Matthew 28:19-20, Matthew 22:37-38, John 3:16, Proverbs 3:6, 1 Corinthians 2:1-10

SUGGESTED SCRIPTURE READINGSMatthew 28:19-20 vs19 “Therefore go and make disciples of

all nations, … teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you…”

1 Corinthians 2:1-10 vs2 “I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified…”

Outline

INTRODUCTIONIn addition to a new Mission Plan, our Territory has introduced

a set of seven values, derived primarily from our Soldier’s Covenant, that we believe reflect who we are, how we strive to act, and how we make decisions. Over the next seven weeks, we’ll be exploring these seven values.

Today we’ll be exploring the first of those values – We Put Jesus First.

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A woman bought a parrot in a pet store. She wanted companionship, someone to talk with. The next day she brought the parrot back and said, “He won’t talk.” The store manager asked, “Does he have a mirror in his cage? Parrots love mirrors.” She bought a mirror and left.

The next day she came back and said, “The bird is still not talking.”

“How about a ladder? Parrots love ladders. When he is happy he will talk.” She bought a ladder and left.

The next day she was back complaining that even with the mirror and ladder the bird was not talking. The manager said, “I know what you need, the bird wants a swing. He’ll be happy when he has a swing and he’ll talk. She reluctantly bought a swing and left.

Sure enough, the next day she was back. She had a sad face. “The parrot died,” she said.

“I’m sorry,” the manager said, “please tell me, did he ever say anything before he died?”

The woman replied, “Yes, in a weak voice he asked me, ‘Don’t they sell any food at that pet store?”

Sometimes we forget the main thing. Stephen Covey once said, “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.”

Our new values encourage us to keep the main thing the main thing – Jesus. Often we can get caught up making things happen, focussing on what we think is important or doing things our way and in our own strength. These may even be good things, like helping others, and fighting for justice.

But we need to remember to keep the main thing the main thing – we need to put Jesus first.

Putting Jesus first is about pursuing a life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ, becoming more like Him, and promoting this life-changing relationship to others.KNOW THISWhat does it mean to put Jesus first?1. We pursue a life-changing relationship with Jesus

Jesus called his disciples to a way of life that was both empowering and free and yet disciplined in its purpose and we also need to consciously seek to be filled with His Spirit of love and kindness, faithfulness and self-control.

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Spend time with HimPutting Jesus first means we invest time in our relationship

with Him. Scripture tells us that Jesus regularly spent time in prayer. Luke 5:16 “But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” As Jesus drew strength for daily living from his focus on worship, prayer and the scriptures, so we need to feed ourselves on the means of grace and strength available to us.

Like scripture encourages us to, we need to be spending time with God, talking to and listening to Him and learning from His Word. Healthy relationships require intentional time, effort and commitment to flourish. Our relationship with God is the most important relationship – we need to be intentionally investing in it.Allow Him to lead us

Being in relationship with Jesus also means we need to allow Him to guide us. A life-changing relationship with Jesus means we choose to follow him, allowing the Holy Spirit to guide our decisions and direct us. Like any other relationship, the more time we invest into our relationship with Jesus the more we understand and trust Him.

Yet, how often do we only do this as a last resort? Jesus wants to be the first person we go to when we need to make a decision.

The Bible is full of examples of people being obedient to the Spirit’s leading – even when times are hard. In Galatians, Paul encourages us that as when we choose to follow Jesus, we are given new life and need to give up our own desires. Paul encourages us to instead be led by the Spirit. Galatians 5:25 says “God’s Spirit has given us life, and so we should follow the Spirit”

We need to learn to hear God’s voice, seek Him first in all situations and trust that He knows best.Live a lifestyle of worship

A significant part of putting Jesus first is allowing him to take control and be the centre of all areas of our lives. Following Jesus is not about what happens on a Sunday morning (although coming together for worship, teaching and encouragement is an important part) but following Jesus is about how we actually live out our faith day to day. Choosing to follow Jesus and be in relationship with Him means we invite him into every area of our life, choosing to live a lifestyle of worship.

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Often it’s easy to honour God in certain areas while keeping control of other areas of our lives – God can have our Sunday mornings, but not our work week; we’ll put God first in our families but not our friendships, or we’ll turn to God for help when the situation gets bad enough.

Jesus wants to be part of all we do. Following Jesus is a lifestyle, not a scheduled meeting.

Rick Warren gives us a really simple way to remember our need to honour God in all areas of our lives using the letters of the word FIRST.

Finances. If you want God to bless your finances, even during hard times, you must tithe. Sorry! There’s no other alternative.

Interests. Put him first in your hobbies, your career, and your recreation. Give God first consideration in every decision.

Relationships. Put him first in your family, your marriage, and your friendships.

Schedule. That means you give him the first part of every day. You get up and sit on the side of your bed every morning and say, “God if I don’t get anything else done today, I just want to love you a little bit more and know you a little bit better.”

Troubles. You need to turn to God first when you have a problem. Prayer should never be your last resort. It should be your first choice.

We need to be pursuing a life-changing relationship with Jesus through spending time with Him, allowing Him to guide us and living a lifestyle of worship.

2. We are being transformedRomans 12:1 encourages us to “not conform to the pattern of

this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind”. When we are drawing near to God, spending time in his Word

and following the leading of the Holy Spirit our lives will be being transformed.

Transformation is a complete or major change in someone's or something's appearance or form. Transformation should be visible! As we nurture our relationship with God, our lives should reflect this. We should look different!

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Matthew 28:19-20 suggests to “make disciples of all nations and baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”.

This ‘baptism’ symbolises your old life being crucified with Christ and having a ‘new life’, following the example of Christ’s death, burial and resurrection. In the same way, our old lives need to be given up and ‘buried’ and we need to step into ‘new life’ – we don’t just try to be a new person, we are transformed into a new person.

Being transformed means not looking like or living to the standards of this world, but reflecting the traits, priorities and pursuits of Jesus.

As we are being transformed and becoming more like Jesus, our natural response should be to want this transformation for others.

3. We make Jesus knownJesus recruited his initial band of disciples and instructed

them to go into all the world replicating themselves. This is our calling too!

Jesus called upon his disciples to build the kingdom of God on earth – a society in which God’s will is done as it is in heaven. Our task is to build God’s Kingdom by living according to his commands by the power of his Spirit (Matthew 28: 20) and inviting others to join us.

In putting Jesus first, The Salvation Army has always belonged in the evangelical tradition of Church history.

Evangelical Christianity, or Evangelical Protestantism is a worldwide, cross-denominational movement within Protestant Christianity. Evangelical Christianity maintains that the essence of the gospel is the doctrine of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ and his sacrifice on the cross. A key part of evangelical Christianity is the conversion or ‘born again’ experience, as well as the authority of the Bible as the word of God and in the spreading of the Christian message. Evangelicals preach Jesus and call for decision and commitment.

There are other Christian traditions:

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The Eucharistic or Catholic tradition: including the Oriental Orthodox churches, the Eastern Orthodox churches, the Lutheran churches and most branches of the Anglican Communion. In these churches, worship is shaped by the Eucharist.

The Reformation tradition: In many Protestant groups, such as the Methodist, Baptist, and Reformed churches and some parts of the Anglican Communion, corporate worship is shaped by teaching.

The Contemporary tradition: Since the beginning of the charismatic movement of the 1960s, a music-centred approach to worship is now very popular, where worship is shaped by extended periods of congregational singing.

While it may be said that in many corps, we have changed as a movement by making more use of modern songs and by exchanging brass instruments for electric, it must never be said we have lost our focus on Jesus and his strong call upon our lives as his disciples. We must never lose our sense of urgency towards calling people to acceptance of the gospel of Jesus.

SO WHAT SHOULD WE DO?Like, the parrot story suggests – the main thing is to keep the

main thing the main thing. To put Jesus first, we need to spend some time every day learning of Jesus, we need to be putting Jesus first in our finances, interests, relationships, schedule and troubles. We need to be being transformed and making Jesus known.

ApplicationThe Salvation Army was raised up by God as an evangelical

movement with a heart for the lost and marginalised. In an age when people are increasingly trusting in material prosperity, and who are influenced by the spirit of a world without God, the need for the evangelical message is ever more important.

What the world needs is Jesus – his way of life, His reconciling people to God, His opening the door to eternity. His salvation.CONCLUSION

Is Jesus our guide and mentor for daily living? What do you need to change so that God is first in your

finances, interests, relationships, and schedule?

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Can people see a difference in you? Are you being transformed?

Are you making Jesus known?To be like Jesus! This hope possesses me. In every thought

and deed this is my hope, my creed!The leaders of The Salvation Army place great value on

Putting Jesus First. You carry this value in your hands.

Other Resources

Other illustrations that could be used: ‘Putting God First’ – story of a mother involved in the

Virginia Tech Tragedy // http://www.plough.com/en/topics/life/grieving/putting-god-first

Story of Haggai - Haggai 1:1-15// https://bible.org/seriespage/lesson-1-putting-first-things-first-haggai-11-15

‘Threshold of the Future’ by Michael RiddellFor further study

Ronald Sider. ‘The Scandal of the Evangelical Conscience Michael Riddell ‘Threshold of the Future’

Some ideas you may wish to promote to your corps congregation Read biographies of Jesus (make a suggested book list

available, such as The Jesus I Never Knew by Philip Yancey; The Life of Jesus and why he matters by John Dickson; watch Jesus the Game Changer by Karl Faase)

Make it a habit to read and re-read the gospel record of Jesus (start with Mark – he’s the most readable) Set a challenge? A chapter a week?

Ask your people to identify the characteristics of the Spirit of Jesus and make these the focus of your prayer for yourself.

Ask your people to support the corporate ministries of your Corps with enthusiasm (describe the opportunities for involvement)

Worship resources Watch the movie or listen to the song ‘What would Jesus

do?’ – by Adam Gregory

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‘The First and the Last’ – Hillsong ‘Christ is Enough for Me’ – Hillsong ‘There is No Other Name’ - Hillsong ‘Jesus the name high over all’ – SASB ‘To Be Like Jesus’ - hymn Ask someone in your congregation (or could have a panel)

to explain what it means to them to put Jesus first.

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SERMON 2

We Care for OthersJames 2:12-19

OverviewJesus’ second great commandment is to ‘Love your neighbour

as yourself.’ Our Christian faith compels us to care for others, especially the most vulnerable and marginalised in society. But it’s not just a passing concern—it’s compassion in action, walking alongside people in relationship and offering a hand up.

Expected behaviours: Caring for people, Relationships, Bias toward the Vulnerable, Meeting Needs, Offering a Hand Up

Bible verses: Matthew 22:39, Matthew 25:35-40, James 2:12-19

SUGGESTED SCRIPTURE READINGSJames 2:12-19 vs 15 “Suppose a brother or a sister is without

clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? …”

Matthew 25: 35-40 vs35 “When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

Matthew 22:39 ‘And the second is like it: “Love your neighbour as yourself.” ’

Leviticus 19:18 ‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbour as yourself. I am the LORD.’

Outline

INTRODUCTIONIn addition to a new Mission Plan, our Territory has introduced

a set of seven values, derived primarily from our Soldier’s Covenant, that we believe reflect who we are, how we strive to act, and how we make decisions. Today’s message is about one of those values – We Care for Others –

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Our Christian faith compels us to care for others, especially the most vulnerable and marginalised in society. But it’s not just a passing concern—it’s compassion in action, walking alongside people in relationship and offering a hand up.

Of all the many commandments given to the people of Israel and recorded in the Pentateuch, Jesus chose to highlight two. He spoke of loving God with all of our being, (Deuteronomy 6:4 ) and of loving our neighbour as if they were ourselves. (Leviticus 19:18)

In the spirit of neighbourliness, and as commanded by the teachings of Jesus, we care for others.

The Salvation Army is well known for its work in caring for others. Last year The Salvation Army helped more than 120,000 New Zealanders in need with meals, food parcels, supportive accommodation, counselling, addiction services, budget advice, education, employment training and much more. As an organisation, we are great at caring for the vulnerable in our communities.

But God calls us as individuals to care for others.

The movie The Blind Side explores the true story of Leigh Anne Tuohy and her family who welcome Michael, an abandoned teenager, into their home.

[Play clip from The Blind Side movie – begin clip at 19 minutes and 59 seconds. End clip at 22 minutes and 13 seconds]

[Here’s a link to a low quality version for your reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nfd4slZX3IU ]

In this scene, Leigh Anne drives past Michael and then has to consciously decide to stop and turn around. Leigh Anne and her families’ decision to care for Michael changed his life – Michael lived with the Tuohy’s through high school and went on to play in the NFL.

Imagine if Leigh Ann and her family had not turned the car around?

How often do we see people in need and continue on our way?

What does it mean to ‘stop the car’ and truly care for others?

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KNOW THISCaring for others requires love and relationship

You’ve heard the phrase, ‘Cold as charity’? ‘Charity is seen to be cold since it tends to be given to the poor and disadvantaged by organisations rather than by individual people with love, and so lacks feeling or warmth.’

But that is not the Christian way! Relationship and love and warmth of regard are of the spirit of Jesus. It is well when every Christian disciple engages in acts of kindness delivered with love. But God asks us to go beyond just helping others in the moment, but to walk alongside people in relationship. There are many examples in scripture about being in community with others, spurring each other on and supporting each other’s needs.

Shane Claiborne, the Christian activist and author, puts it this way:

“But what had lasting significance were not the miracles themselves but Jesus' love. It wasn't that Jesus healed a leper but that he touched a leper, because no one touched lepers.”

Loving others is more than doing the right thing, more than giving money to a good cause, more than helping in the moment and moving on … loving others is about intentionally reaching out and offering something more than help.

There’s a great scene in the Blind Side where dad Sean asks Michael to be part of the family…

Sean Tuohy: We were wondering if you would like to become a part of this family?

Michael Oher: I kinda thought I already was.The Tuohy’s didn’t just stop the car and ask if he was alright,

they picked him up and welcomed him into their home, where he never left - they walked alongside him.

That should be our intention – to care for others with such a genuine love that they feel they are really cared for – that they are being supported and encouraged and that they have someone walking alongside them.Caring for others means meeting needs and offering a

hand upFor the Christian disciple, it is not enough to simply meet a

presenting need without the offer of a hand up to a new level of competence. Behind the need for a food parcel is a set of circumstances needing to be addressed.

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As James wrote (James 2:15-16) “Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?”

Caring for others means being prepared to dig beneath the surface need. When we care for people, we need to see them as a whole person and think about their long term needs. It’s still a great thing to offer someone help in the moment, but we need to consider how we can support them long term – a hand up, not just a hand out.

There’s a quote that says “charity sees the need and not the cause” – we need to be looking to care for people by addressing the cause, giving them the means to work through the issues and supporting them in the journey. Michael Oher’s story could have ended quite differently if the Tuohy family simply gave him a jumper to keep warm or dropped him at the gym. The Tuohy family walked alongside Michael to address the cause of his issues, supporting him and offering him the means to lift himself out of the situation.

Caring for others means we met the needs of those around us, while also offering a hand up.Caring for others is not always easy

I do not always feel fond of myself! Sometimes I do not even enjoy my own company! There are times when we are almost un-loveable to others and far from nice.

So if the Bible says to love others as we love ourselves, loving my neighbour does not necessarily mean that I always feel fond of them or enjoy everything they do or say.

In our more honest moments we might admit to disliking things about ourselves . We dislike the bad person within us, but still love ourselves. So apparently we are allowed to not like some of the things our neighbours do? Love for others is offered in spite of the bad things about them.

That is how God loves us; not for any nice, attractive qualities we think we have, but just because we are his created people. For really there is nothing else in us to love. As CS Lewis put it – ‘creatures like us who actually find hatred so attractive that to give it up is like giving up beer or tobacco.’ (or fast food or chocolate?)

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And that is how we must love our neighbour. Unconditionally, as God loves us. This doesn’t make it easy but because we are loved and we love Jesus, caring for others should be a natural outworking of this love. SO WHAT SHOULD WE DO

What does caring for others mean in practice? Accepting Jesus’ challenge to love and care for others Look for ways we can care for others and being intentional

in responding to their needs Journeying with people through their situations Write a prayer for the week in your notebook asking God

to guide you to who is to be your ‘neighbour’ and note and plan to act in favour of the answer given.

Look for opportunities to lift morale and ease burden in every situation you find yourself.

ApplicationJesus said the basis of Christian judgement will be the degree

to which we have met the needs of the marginalized with the warmth of love (Matthew 25:35-40 above). This is a heavy responsibility!

We can be proud of the way The Salvation Army’s corporate arm provides social services meeting a broad range of personal needs. But the call of Jesus is to the individual. We must not leave caring for people to the professionals. Every one of us should engage in acts of kindness in love, toward our ‘neighbour’.

Imagine the impact on society if every Christian engaged in a significant act of kindness in caring for others during the coming week. Is this not what Jesus called his disciples to do?CONCLUSION

We each have responsibility for a personal ministry of care for people.

Take a moment to think: who are the people in your life you might be able to help? Is there a family member or friend struggling at the moment? Do you have a physical neighbour you could better care for? Is there someone or a situation in your community that you could invest in and care for?

Is the Spirit of Jesus calling you to a commitment to caring for others in some way? Make the commitment now.14/05/2023 Who are we? 19

Take a card and right the name or situation down. Make a commitment to make a difference this week.

The Salvation Army’s leaders greatly value the ministry of Caring for Others in the name of Jesus. You carry this value in your hands.

Other Resources

Some ideas you may wish to promote to your corps congregationLeaders of congregations carry a huge responsibility in

ensuring their people are provided opportunity for such ministry, trained for the task and the celebration of ministry outcomes.

Tell your people you plan to run an open testimony session next Sunday to enable your people to speak of the acts of kindness they have carried out this week.

Describe your community ministries or corps programmes that are focused on caring for people. Encourage people to serve there.

Should you be announcing a follow-up programme for people receiving compassion? Organise one or recruit volunteers to help you plan such a ministry.

To give an idea of the services The Salvation Army provides today, you could play the video that was included with the 2015 Covenant Renewal Resources (www.sarmy.net.nz >> Strategic Mission Plan >> Mission Resources >> Soldiership).

Worship resources ‘The Saviour of men came to seek and to save’ - SASB ‘Hosanna’- Hillsong ‘Let there be Light’ – Hillsong ‘I Will Follow’ – Chris Tomlin ‘Do Something’ – Matthew West ‘Picture a World’ – Joy Webb Ask your Family Store / Community Ministries Manager to

speak of some of the needs they see in your community and how people can help.

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SERMON 3

We Walk the TalkJames 1:22-25

OverviewWalking the talk is about authenticity—living according to

the teachings in the Bible, upholding Christian integrity in every area of our lives, doing what we expect of others and treating others as we would want to be treated. It allows no room for hypocrisy or duplicity.

Expected behaviours: Integrity, Respect, Authenticity, Practice What You Preach, Backed up by Action

Bible verses: James 1:22, Romans 12:1-2, Proverbs 4:23SUGGESTED SCRIPTURE READINGS

James 1:22-25 “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says…”

Romans 12:1-2 “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God …”

Proverbs 4:23 “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”

Outline

INTRODUCTIONIn addition to a new Mission Plan, our Territory has introduced

a set of seven values, derived primarily from our Soldier’s Covenant, that we believe reflect who we are, how we strive to act, and how we make decisions. Today’s message is about one of those values – We walk the talk.

In the musical ‘My Fair Lady’, the character Elisa Doolittle, in response to Freddy’s attempts to cheer her up, starts singing angrily, ‘Don’t talk of love, show me!’ In the lead up to the song she chants, ‘I get words all day long, first from him now from you! Is that all you blighters can do?’ Good question!

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We’ve defined Walking the Talk as being about authenticity—living according to the teachings in the Bible, upholding Christian integrity in every area of our lives, doing what we expect of others and treating others as we would want to be treated. It allows no room for hypocrisy or duplicity. Perhaps we might have called it ‘show me’.KNOW THISWe’re not doing a very good job

World renowned Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias says that, of all the thousands of questions put to him challenging Christianity, the one question that has bothered him the most was asked by a Hindu friend: “If this conversion you speak about is truly supernatural, then why is it not more evident in the lives of so many Christians that I know?” In other words, a God who is said to transform should produce people with transformed lives.

The Irish evangelist Gypsy Smith once said, “There are five Gospels. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and the Christian, and some people will never read the first four.” In other words, the message is seen before it is heard. The world is looking for people to “show me”. People want to know, do Christian beliefs really make a difference in the life of the one proclaiming them?

Unfortunately, when they look around, the answer is typically no.

They see the fall from grace of church leaders like Mark Driscoll, or Christian politicians like Graham Capill charged with abuse, or Colin Craig with sexual harassment.

But they also see the professing Christian at the office who maligns and stabs their co-workers in the back.

Or the friend who says they're a Christian but never makes time for people, or is the last to offer a helping hand or listening ear.

They see their Christian friend on Facebook like or say things that are rude, offensive or hurtful.

Or the friend, who goes to church on Sunday, but in all other ways, seems no different.

Who can blame anyone for eyeballing such people and remarking, “If that’s what a Christian is, count me out!”

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We can so easily damage the image of Christ and what it means to be a Christian when our actions don’t match our words. C.S.Lewis, in ‘Mere Christianity’ puts it this way ‘When we behave badly, we make Christianity unbelievable.’Instead, how should we act?

In his book ‘I’ll Fight – Holiness at War’, Philip Wall tells of meeting a homeless woman without shoes, who scoffed when Phil said ‘God loves you.’ When on a later occasion he met the same woman, he arranged for her to spend Christmas with a Salvationist family. In time, the woman responded to love in action and became a Christian, restored to marriage and a home. She said to Phil, ‘when you said God loved me I thought you were just another Jesus jerk! But when I received such love and care, I knew that God loved me.’

It wasn’t until Phil Wall’s actions matched his talk that the woman responded to his message.

So what does it mean to walk the talk?Walking the talk means pursuing holiness in all areas of

our livesAs Christians, we are called to pursue holiness. The Salvation

Army’s tenth doctrine is about holiness and our ‘whole spirit, soul and body’ being blameless. We are called to be holy in all areas of life – for our lives to reflect our beliefs.

Holiness is about being set apart, being blameless and living with integrity. It’s more than doing certain things and not doing other things – it’s about knowing we are God’s and that every aspect of our lives should point back to him.

The book Called to be God’s People sets out a number of ‘calls’ for Salvationists. One of these is ‘The Call to Holiness’. In the book, it says, “The call to holiness in all its dimensions reminds us that the holy life necessarily involved personal, relational, social and political attitudes. The experience of holiness isn’t merely a very blessed spiritual feeling on a Sunday morning. If it is anything at all, it has its outworking in everyday life, seven days a week.”

Mike Harland, author of The 7 Words of Worship, says it well:“Measure your worship not at 11 o’clock on Sunday

morning, but at 8:30 on Monday morning in the cubicles where your people go to work.”Holiness demands that we get our hands dirty while asking

God to keep our hearts clean. It must make a defining difference as to how we live and to the people we are.14/05/2023 Who are we? 23

Being holy or set apart also means we look different to those around us. In Romans 12, Paul encourages us to be counter-cultural.

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

Paul tells us to ‘not conform to the pattern of this world’ – meaning, don’t just do whatever everyone else is doing, don’t just look like everyone else. Our lives should look distinctly different; people should see something different in us.

Being set apart means we choose to live like Jesus, not like the world. This means we don’t compromise what we say we’re about, by doing what everyone else is doing. We choose to live a life of Christian integrity - even when that means standing out and looking different.

Holiness is about living a life that brings honour to God in every circumstance. How we live, how we interact with others, what we choose to spend our time or money on all speak louder than what we say we’re about. We don’t just know and say the right things, we back that up with what we do and how we live.

And yet, if we’re being honest, all of us fail regularly.Why do we fail?

One afternoon, Scott was doing his homework with his sister Hannah. Scott had a habit of saying phrases like "I can't" or "I don't know how."

This particular afternoon, Hannah responded with a Bible verse she had learned: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

Scott replied, "Then you do it."Often it’s easier to do the talking then it is to do the walking.

James 1:22 says “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”

If we consider All Black Aaron’s Smith’s recent controversy as an example –the decision Smith made in the heat of the moment to cheat on his partner while travelling with the team did not match his talk. As an All Black, he committed to a set of standards and lifestyle decisions. Smith’s actions damaged his credibility, but also the credibility of what he claimed to be a part of – the All Blacks.

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It is so easy to let our standards slip, especially in the heat of the moment. Replying to an email out of frustration – choosing to send something that will tear someone down and not lift them up, ignoring the comment a friend makes that they are finding things hard and not following up with them, or getting caught up in a conversation you know doesn’t align with your morals.

In Romans 7, Paul laments on this tension of knowing what to do, and genuinely wanting to do it, but often falling short.

“I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.” Romans 7:15-20

There are so many reasons why we often fail in walking the talk. Sometimes it’s the pressure from others around us or situations we find ourselves in, sometimes it’s the desire to want to fit in or not stand out, sometimes we get caught up in the heat of the moment, or sometimes it’s simply down to complacency or giving in and doing the easy option. We know the talk, we know the walk but sometimes we still choose to not have these match up.

More often than not, this is what gives Christians a bad name. After visiting a church and witnessing Christian words not matching their actions, Ghandi said, “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”

We need to constantly remember, if we claim to be a Christ follower, our lives are how people see Jesus. We need to make sure our lives truly reflect him, and not the world. Our talk needs to be matched by our walk in all areas of our lives – in our attitudes, in our relationships and in our actions.How do we do this?

We need to pursue holiness in all areas of our lives and allow ourselves to be sanctified.

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Sanctification means the process of being made holy – this means being set apart. God has called us to be set apart from the rest of the world, for His purposes. This means we choose to live a life of holiness.

The pursuit of holiness is just that – a pursuit, an on-going journey to being more like Jesus. This means, in all we do we are working to be a better reflection of Jesus.

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:1-2In this passage, Paul urges us “be transformed by the

renewing of your mind.”Part of walking the talk is allowing ourselves to be continually

transformed to be more like Jesus - understanding that our actions need to match our words, and working toward having those match in all we do.

An excerpt from ‘Call to Holiness’ further emphasises this, “The holiness of God invites us to look honestly at our lives to see where transformation is needed, and by his sanctifying grace actually to make those changes.”

Sometimes we get it wrong – our actions don’t match our talk. But allowing ourselves to be transformed means recognising areas we need to improve in and actually working on it, and allowing God to work in us.

Part of this is learning to guard your heart. Proverbs 4:23 says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Everything we do is a natural outworking of where our heart is at. We need to be learning more and more of Jesus through reading, worshipping, discussing and praying so that we understand how He would live, how He would respond in a situation, how He would treat others.

When we are constantly being transformed to be more like Jesus, learning from His character and guarding our heart, when we’re in hard situations or feeling pressure from others around us, our natural response will be that of Jesus.

Sanctification is an on-going process, which means there might still be times when we get it wrong. In these times, we need to be quick to repent and apologise.

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We need to be looking to Jesus’ example and reflecting His character in how we live. When we are truly following Jesus’ example, spending time with Him and allowing him to transform us – we will respond like Jesus would and our actions will be point back to Him.

If we want people to experience a life-changing relationship with Jesus, we need to live a life-changing relationship with Jesus.

SO WHAT SHOULD WE DO? Spend time learning from Jesus’ example in scripture and

how He would live, respond to pressure and interact with others.

Pursue holiness in all areas our lives Examine yourself and recognise areas that need to be

transformed Be quick to repent and apologise Ask God as you pray, for guidance over your role as a

talking, walking witness in Jesus name.

ApplicationIf The Salvation Army is to fulfil its Biblical mandates it will

require us to be authentic disciples of Jesus. People of integrity whose lives match their witness. People who will walk the talk!

Could it be said that too many of us regularly occupy pews and listen to the talk, but neglect the walk from the time we have finished our after meeting coffee.

Imagine if we were known for the quality of our lives, what we do, how we interact with others, how we respond … and not by what we don’t do.

We need to know the talk! We need to live in a way that everything we say AND do points to Jesus.CONCLUSION

Take time to reflect on how you’re doing with walking the talk.

Are you pursuing holiness in all areas of your life? Are you an accurate reflection of Jesus?

Are there times when you fail? 14/05/2023 Who are we? 27

Is there something you need to ask God for forgiveness? Is there someone you need to apologise to?

Are you allowing yourself to be transformed?

Other Resources

For further reading Ed Stetzer and Thom S Rainer. ‘Transformational Church’ Michael Riddell. ‘Threshold to the Future’

Some ideas you may wish to promote to your corps Joe Stowell: ‘Our Daily Bread’. ‘If you want to be authentic

and useful for God, give yourself an obstacle inventory. Gossip, boasting, bitterness and selfishness are all likely to close the hearts and minds of those around us who need the gospel, because of our hypocrisy in failing to walk the talk.

Use Galatians 5:16-22 as a benchmark for measuring the sort of walk we take. Is our walk of envy, hatred and strife, or love and joy and peace, etc.?

Encourage an engagement in acts of kindness (the literal walk the talk)

Ask your people to review their devotional life to ensure that it develops knowledge of the way of Jesus.

Worship resources ‘Lord I Need You’ – Matt Maher ‘Send Me Out’ – Steve Fee ‘O Come to the Altar’ – Elevation Worship ‘I Will Follow’ – Chris Tomlin ‘Oceans (where feet may fail)’ - Hillsong ‘We are witnesses for Jesus’ SASB ‘To be like Jesus’ Hymn ‘Be Thou My Vision’ - Hymn Set up a challenge, where people claim to be able to do

something and then prove it (e.g. 20 press-ups).

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SERMON 4

We Think HolisticallyMatthew 9:2-8

OverviewWe think holistically. We value the provision of a ministry

that addresses the whole person—their spiritual, physical, mental/emotional and social needs. It is this integrated holistic ministry that leads to true life transformation.

Expected behaviours: Seeing the Whole Person: Spiritual, Physical, Mental/Emotional, Social/Family

Bible verses: John 10:10, Matthew 9:2-8, Mark 12:30SUGGESTED SCRIPTURE READINGS

John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

Matthew 9:2-8 vs 2 “Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven…”

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 “May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he’ll do it!”

Outline

INTRODUCTIONIn addition to a new Mission Plan, our Territory has introduced

a set of seven values, derived primarily from our Soldier’s Covenant, that we believe reflect who we are, how we strive to act, and how we make decisions. Today’s message is about one of those values – We think holistically

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Salvation Army founders, William and Catherine Booth understood what it meant to think holistically. They founded the Salvation Army based on the idea of holistic ministry and meeting all needs of all people. They had been involved with church ministry for years but were fed up. They recognised that in addition to spiritual rebirth, the people to whom their ministry was directed needed physical, emotional and social restoration as well as material assistance.

William Booth wrote, ‘You cannot warm the hearts of people with God’s love if they have an empty stomach and cold feet’, and ‘To get a man soundly saved it is not enough to put on him a pair of new breeches, to give him regular work, or even to give him a university education. These things are all outside a man, and if the inside remains unchanged you have wasted your labour. You must in some way or other graft upon the man’s nature a new nature, which has in it the element of the Divine.’

Thinking holistically is what we are founded on! KNOW THISSo what does thinking holistically look like?

The Bible speaks of holism as of body, soul, mind and spirit. All parts must be held in balance. Jesus said "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbour as yourself.'" And one of Paul’s benedictions was, ‘May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.’ 1 Thessalonians 5:23

The fact that Jesus and Paul refer to each of these dimensions is important. These passages emphasise we are made up of several parts and each are important. The example of Jesus, as well as the early Christians ministering to people, reflected a holistic approach to a person’s well-being. Jesus never saw just the physical or just the spiritual needs of a person – he would address the whole person.

There is a model of health in Māori culture that recognises the need to address the whole person. This model is called Te Whare Tapa Whā and emphasises the relationship between the spiritual, physical, mental/emotional and social needs of a person. The model considers each of these areas as walls of a whare or house, and that all four walls are equal, need strong foundations and need to work in balance to determine the well-being of a person.30 Sermon Outline

This model was formally introduced in 1997, but stems from the traditional practices of Māori people. Te Whare Tapa Whā informs practices around New Zealand in healthcare, justice systems and schools.

Even before William and Catherine Booth had the same philosophy in 1865 England, the Māori people in Aotearoa New Zealand were founding our nation on this same idea.

So if our scripture, our church and our culture is founded on thinking holistically – what does that look like?

The story of the paralyzed man is a great example of Jesus ministering holistically and seeing the whole person.

Matthew 9:2-8 “Some men brought to Jesus a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”

At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!”

Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” Then the man got up and went home. When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to man.”

In this passage, we can see that the whole man is considered – not just his physical ailment.Social

We can see in this passage that the social well-being of the man is being considered and cared for. It says that ‘some men’ brought the man to Jesus – this means they obviously knew him and cared for him. Without these men, the man had no way of getting to Jesus. These men were his social support and not only cared for him socially, but for the well-being of his physical body.

Te Whare Tapa Whā describes the ‘social’ part of our well-being as Taha whanau which refers to family relationships, friendships, and other interpersonal relationships; feelings of belonging, compassion, and caring; and social support.

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God created humans to be in community with one another. We are not made to live alone! We need others to encourage, support and care for us. Just like the paralyzed man, relationships are so important to our well-being.Mental/emotional

It was the belief of the day that the cause of sickness was sin. So it was a maxim among the Jews that no diseased person could be healed till all his sins were blotted out. Hence Jesus first forgives the sins, and then heals the body of the paralytic person.

Imagine the weight of this on the mental and emotional well-being of this man. Living each day believing the cause of his physical ailment was sin, and knowing this is what others around him believed also. The shame and disappointment he would feel about himself! Also, the isolation this would cause.

Imagine the joy he would have felt when Jesus forgave him, and then healed him. The weight being removed, not having to be shamed or isolated. The mental and emotional freedom he would feel!

Te Whare Tapa Whā describes the ‘mental/emotional’ part of our well-being as Taha hinengaro which refers to coherent thinking processes, acknowledging and expressing thoughts and feelings and responding constructively.

Our mental and emotional well-being affects everything we do. How we process things, how we respond in situations and how we engage with the world around us. We need to take care of ours, and others, mental and emotional well-being.Physical

This passage is just one of the many examples of Jesus physically healing people. He didn’t just care about the spiritual well-being of those he encountered, he cared about all areas of their lives. Clearly Jesus cared about the physical health of His people!

This was the same with the man’s friends. They cared enough about the physical needs of their friend that they carried him for miles in the hope that they might encounter Jesus.

Te Whare Tapa Whā describes the ‘physical’ part of our well-being as Taha tinana which refers to the physical body, its growth, development, and ability to move, and ways of caring for it.

32 Sermon Outline

God calls to help those around us – not just spiritually but physically and materially. Just like the paralyzed man’s friends, we need to ensure we are looking out for the physical and material needs of those around us.Spiritual

Imagine if Jesus had only healed the man in this passage. It would have been an incredible sight but the man would not have being fully ‘healed’. In this situation, the physical healing of the man was used to display Jesus’ authority to forgive sins. Jesus claimed to ‘have come to bring life and life in all its fullness’. A full life is not just social, mental and physical – life in all its fullness is about being free in Christ.

It also took the faith of the friends for the man to be healed. Without his friends having faith that Jesus could heal, the paralyzed man would never have encountered Him.

Te Whare Tapa Whā describes the ‘spiritual’ part of our well-being as Taha wairua which refers to the values and beliefs that determine the way people live, the search for meaning and purpose in life, and personal identity and self-awareness.

Thinking holistically means we consider the spiritual well-being of those around us. As Christ followers, we know where people can find meaning, purpose and identity. We know what it means to have life in all its fullness, and God calls us to share this with others.Why think holistically?

It would be hard to argue that any of these areas are not important but so often we separate these and focus on single needs. How easy is it as a church to simply focus on the spiritual parts of a person and neglect their mental and emotional well-being? How easy is it to spend time on the ‘social’ side of our relationships while never caring for each other’s material needs? How easy is it when we are serving vulnerable people in our communities to look after their physical and emotional needs while never addressing their spiritual needs?

The image of the whare or house in Te Whare Tapa Whā reinforces the idea to see the whole person. In this image, our social, mental/emotional, physical and spiritual needs are four walls – each with strong foundations, equal importance and working in balance. Should one of the four dimensions be missing or in some way damaged, a person, or a collective may become ‘unbalanced’ and subsequently unwell.

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When Jesus encountered people, he always saw them as whole people. Jesus’ ministry was very holistic and always addressed more than the obvious need – Jesus cared for the mental, social, physical and spiritual well-being of those around him. And he encouraged his disciples to do the same.

As Christians, we are called to bring life to those around us and life in all its fullness. When one part is suffering, the whole suffers. We can’t address one area and neglect another. Thinking holistically is about seeing the whole person. True life transformation is about caring for the whole person.

Holistic ministry views people through God’s eyes, as body-mind-soul wholes created to live in community. Let’s see each other that way too.SO WHAT SHOULD WE DO?[It would be good to include some examples or ideas that directly relate your corps/centre and people in this part. How do you ‘think holistically’ in your setting? What are some of your strengths? What are some areas as a corps you could improve? What are some ways individuals could improve in this area?Include some practical ideas that will encourage your people to consider how they do this individually and as a collective.] Think holistically

How are your relationships with others? Do you care for the mental and emotional well-being of

others? How could you better care for the physical and material

concerns of those around you? Do you share your faith with others?

Live holistically Be physically whole - Eat well, sleep well, exercise well. Be well in spirit - Confess your sins. Live with a clear

conscience Be in community - Maintain and develop friendships. Share

with others and care for each other. Engage your mind - Share with others about how you’re

doing. Keep your mind active and spend time learning from Scripture.

34 Sermon Outline

ApplicationImagine if the paralyzed man’s friends only cared for his

social needs. He would never have been physically healed or spiritually restored.

Imagine if Jesus only forgave the man’s sins and not healed his physical body.

The story would have ended quite differently. The man’s life would have been changed but not fully transformed.

God calls us to partner with him in bringing life and life in all its fullness. True life transformation means all areas are transformed – social, physical, mental/emotional and spiritual.

This means we must think holistically and see the whole person.CONCLUSION

The example of the four friends who brought a paralysed man to Jesus is a picture of balanced compassionate friendship, emotional and mental restoration, miraculous physical healing and spiritual freedom.

We need to think and minister holistically, not separately.What is out of balance in your life? Body, soul, spirit? Resolve

to do something about it today, as we pray.Do you see the whole person? How can you better care for all

dimensions of the people around you?

Other Resources

For further reading C. Rene Padilla. ‘Mission Between the Times’ Nealson Munn and David Collinson. ‘Insane’

Some ideas you may wish to promote to your corps Plan a response to a perceived lack of holism and sell the

idea to the congregation for follow up at Pastoral Care Council or Leadership Team.

Plan to add value to Family Store service by addressing more than material needs.

Ask for volunteers/members of your corps to follow-up selected food parcel families.

Offer ways for members of your corps to serve at your community ministries.

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Look at ways you can link community families with your corps, and how you explore faith with them.

Consider how you address the social needs of the people around you – particularly new people, elderly and single people.

Encourage your corps to have a go at a spiritual discipline they have neglected that relates to one of these four areas.

Worship resources Ask your Family Store manager to speak of holism in a

Family Store context Interview someone from your corps that has received

help/ministry in a holistic way Unto thee, O- Saviour King - SASB My Heart is Yours - Passion Take My Life and Let It be – Hymn Impossible Things – Chris Tomlin

36 Sermon Outline

SERMON 5

We Offer a Place to BelongActs 2:42-47

OverviewIn a world that is becoming increasingly individualistic, we

offer a place to belong—authentic faith communities where anyone is welcomed and encouraged to participate, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity or background. Authentic communities thrive on qualities such as hospitality, trust, respect, grace, acceptance, unity and humility.

We also believe that God has given us all gifts and talents to be used for the building up of His Kingdom and church, and so we expect people who profess to follow Jesus to not only belong, but also to contribute as they are able to the life, work, worship and witness of the faith community.

Expected behaviours: Hospitality, Community, Grace, Acceptance, Participation, Contribution

Bible verses: Acts 2:42-47, 1 Peter 2:9, 1 Peter 4:9, Hebrews 13:2

SUGGESTED SCRIPTURE READINGSActs 2:42-47 “They devoted themselves to the apostles’

teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles… And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”

1 Peter 4:9 “Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.”

Hebrews 13:2 “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.”

Ephesians 2:19-22 “So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people.”

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Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labour: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”

Outline

INTRODUCTIONIn addition to a new Mission Plan, our Territory has introduced

a set of seven values, derived primarily from our Soldier’s Covenant, that we believe reflect who we are, how we strive to act, and how we make decisions. Today’s message is about one of those values – We offer a place to belong

“Every week this sweet little old lady waited in line at the post office to buy two stamps. One day, as she got to the counter, the postal worker told her, “You know, you don’t have to wait in line to buy stamps. You can get them from the machine over there in books of twenty.” The little old lady responded, “Yes, but the machine doesn’t ask me if I am well and looking after myself.”

People need and often long to be connected. Studies show that an increasing number of people are experiencing feelings of intense loneliness. According to the 2014 New Zealand General Social Survey, 13.9 percent of the population aged 15 years and over reported feeling lonely all, most or some of the time during the last four weeks. That’s nearly 1 in every seven people you encounter.

Everywhere you look, there are signs that people are hungering for fellowship, community, and a sense of family. And what better place should there be to find that than in their local church.

So what does it mean to offer a place to belong?

KNOW THISA place to belong is welcoming

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The first century Church described in Acts 2:40-47 is a picture of a place to belong. On offer was teaching, fellowship, food, prayer, sharing of resources, singleness of mind, worship, signs and wonders, newcomers, a sound reputation – they seemed to have it all – a place to belong. The passage ends saying ‘the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.’

Clearly, the early church was a place that people were drawn to and felt welcomed into! No wonder the Church grew.

Looking at the examples in scripture, the Church was not created to be an exclusive club for those that made the cut. The Church is meant for all people. This means, we welcome all people in – offering grace and acceptance to everyone. It means we welcome people regardless of age, gender, ethnicity or background. It means you don’t have to believe to belong. Jesus never showed prejudice with who He ministered to or welcomed into his ‘circle’.

What happens currently when someone new walks into our corps? Are they welcomed? Do people make connections with them and are intentional in building relationship with them? Is this just on a Sunday or do we welcome them into our weekday lives as well?

What if they looked different, acted different, thought differently? Would they be judged or welcomed? How often do you welcome people into your home, encourage them to join your small group or text or call them during the week?

When Paul wrote his letters that are included in the New Testament, he addressed people as brothers and sisters. He included foreigners, strangers and Gentiles. We’re not meant to be exclusive, but inviting, welcoming and in turn – growing.

The Author of Hebrews similarly calls for a warm and open fellowship.

“Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.”

We need to remember to continue creating a place where all people feel safe, comfortable, accepted and welcomed. A place to belong is a welcoming place.

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A place to belong is about being in communityIn Genesis, God creates Adam and then says ‘It is not good for

man to be alone.’ and in turn creates Eve. We are not meant to be alone - Christ created us to be in community.

True community is about supporting those around us, sharing together and knowing we belong. The Bible often refers to this form of community as a fellowship. The term Luke uses for “fellowship” in Acts is a much broader term than our English word. Essentially, “fellowship” means “joint participation” or “sharing something in common.”

When we are in fellowship or joint participation, we know we have each other’s back. Being in community means we are ‘all in this together’.

A place to belong provides strength. Ecclesiastes puts it this way, “Two people are better than one, because they get more done by working together”. There’s power in team work – we help carry the load and get more done together. We’re in fellowship, joint participation.

A place to belong provides support. “Two are better off than one, because…If one of them falls down, the other can help him up. But if someone is alone and falls, it's just too bad, because there is no one to help him” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10). One of the major benefits of being in community means we have a support system to call on. We are not made to live alone – we need others around us to support and encourage.

Like the example of the early church, we need to be sharing together, offering practical support, praying for each other, learning together, opening our homes to each other and meeting together.

Living in this kind of community also spurs us on. In Hebrews it says, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Part of joining together and being in community means we have others around us to encourage us, push us forward and journey with us.

A place to belong keeps people on fire. When we choose to disconnect and cut ourselves off from a church community, our spiritual lives suffer. One of the first symptoms of spiritual decline is usually inconsistent attendance at worship services and other gatherings of believers. Whenever we become careless about fellowship, everything else begins to slide, too. 40 Sermon Outline

In a world that is becoming more and more individualistic and self-focussed, we need to be creating authentic communities that offer something more than this. Social media and technology have some incredible benefits in how we communicate and interact with each other, but offering a place to belong goes further than that. We need to remember that we are not created to be alone, but in community. And community goes beyond a Sunday service.A place to belong encourages contribution

To Paul, being a ‘member’ of the church meant being a vital organ of a living body, an indispensable, interconnected part of the body of Christ!

Romans 12:4-5 The Message Bible say’s “In this way we are like the various parts of a human body. Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around. The body we’re talking about is Christ’s body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body. But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn’t amount to much, would we?”

A ‘place to belong’ is also a place through which to contribute to the life, work, worship and witness of the faith community. Rick Warren (Saddle Back Church) has said "In some churches, membership is often reduced to simply adding your name to a roll, with no requirement or expectations”. But that is not The Salvation Army.

The strength of the Church lies in its mobilized congregation. Employed staff and corporate social service provision can never replace the role of the individual disciple of Jesus engaged in witness and service in the local community.

Each person has something different to offer– we are each blessed with different gifts and talents to be used for the building of His Kingdom and church. Like the analogy of the body with many parts, we each need to offer our gifts, talents, personalities and knowledge in order to be a fully functioning ‘body’ of people.

Sometimes it’s easy to look at the upfront roles and think “That’s not for me, I can’t preach or play guitar”. Sometimes it’s easy to feel like there’s no place for you to serve, “What skills can I offer? Someone else will be better at it.” Or sometimes it’s easy to think “I can’t serve – I’ve got kids, or shift work or I’m too old for that”. The beautiful thing is that God has created us to be a ‘body’ – meaning we need every person and every gift to be a healthy community. 14/05/2023 Who are we? 41

There are so many ways to serve and often we don’t see those ‘behind the scene’ roles that are so vital to the body. We each have different abilities, we’re all in different life stages and we all have different schedules and pressures – but there are ways for everyone to serve in the Kingdom.

Maybe you don’t like being in front of people but love to decorate – why not offer to enhance the kids church space or come up with creative stage ideas for sermon series. Maybe you’re on shift work so can’t commit to a regular ministry but could join the prayer team or help at Home League or Playgroup. Maybe you’ve got kids so don’t have a lot of time but could be part of a meal roster or offer to drive the van for youth events.

[Add areas specific to your setting that people could serve – think of a range of things and some of the less obvious ways]

There are so many ways to serve and when we are all contributing, we feel we are part of a wider team. We feel connected to those around us, we feel valued, needed and important.

When we contribute we have a vested interest, we care more and we feel we have ownership. Healthy communities encourage active participation because they know it benefits individuals and the wider collective.

Imagine if the early Church had only prayed but never given of their possessions. Imagine if they had only spent time together but no one ever preached or taught. Imagine if only some of the church ‘had everything in common’ and the others just went along for the ride. Imagine if they talked about starting this new Christ-centred community but never actually met together or did anything. Would it have had the impact it did? Would people have stuck around? Would the church still exist today?

God asks each of us to play our part and serve. God doesn’t call us to be passive followers but active in our discipleship and service. In 1 Peter 2:5 it says “You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” This means we all have a part to play – we don’t just leave it to one or two people in the right role to do the work. We are the priesthood of all believers – there are no spectators – we all have the right and means to serve in the Kingdom.

42 Sermon Outline

The strength of a community is in the strength of its people. A place to belong offers opportunities for people to serve, outwork their giftings and contribute to life of the community.SO WHAT SHOULD WE DO?There are many ways by which to contribute to our

belonging community Small groups. Be in one. Interest groups. Start one. Social events. Support them Passions and skills. Use and enhance them. Hospitality or practical care. Offer to help. Newcomers shifting into our communities. Befriend them. Neighbours are not necessarily socially well. Reach out to

them. [Add ways specific to your context that you could encourage people to consider or get involved in.]

ApplicationThe Church is unique in that is open to everyone from birth to

departure from this life and is the only organisation in town structured this way. We need to take care to keep it that way. We are not exclusive.

The health of the Church is the sum of the commitment and support and personal spiritual health of its members. A healthy congregation is like a loving family.

Talented people in the community are looking for an opportunity to express their talents. Let’s make room for them.CONCLUSION

Everyone needs a place where they belong, where people smile when you arrive and say, “See you soon!” when you leave. Maybe their family is far away, maybe they’re feeling alone, or maybe they could just use a new friend or two.

God doesn’t just call us to believe; he calls us to belong. The entire Bible is the story of God building a family that will support, strengthen, and stir one another up to love and good works for all eternity—and he created us to be a part of it.

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As we reflect together, take time to consider your role in our community. Are you playing your part? What does the Spirit of God ask of you? Should you be making an offer of service? Do you have in mind a lonely person who could use a place to belong?

Let’s create a place where people belong – where they feel welcomed, supported and can contribute to the life of the community.

Other Resources

For further reading How to Reach Secular People. George Hunter lll.

Alienation.Some ideas you may wish to promote to your corps

Announce a Corps lunch? BBQ picnics? Bring takeaways to someone’s house for lunch. Invite people to supper at McDonalds every Friday night – a place to belong!

Challenge people to invite someone from the corps into their home and someone from outside the corps into their home every month.

Consider making the next month hospitality month. Encourage your corps to invite others over for a meal.

You could follow this up with a ‘hospitality for neighbours’ month! Encourage your people to invite a neighbour in for a meal.

Look at interest groups you could start that could encourage people to come together more.

Run a spiritual gifts course and find ways for people to serve in their passions/giftings

Look at doing a ‘service’ series (or another way to emphasise how to serve in your context) and highlight ways for people to get involved

Hold a ‘service fair’, where all the different groups in your corps share what they do, and how people can help.

Worship resources Interview a newer family to get to know them Run a game that involves everyone in the congregation Highlight an interest group or ministry – or interview the

person that runs this

44 Sermon Outline

Listen to the song “If we are the body” (a song about making people feel welcome) http://www.worshiptogether.com/songs/if-we-are-the-body

Praise Goes On – Elevation Worship All The People Said Amen – Matt Maher Awesome in this Place – Hillsong To Our God - Bethel Build Your Kingdom Here – Rend Collective Let God Arise – Chris Tomlin Let the Church rise – Jonathan Stockstill Let There Be Light – Hillsong Here as In Heaven – Elevation Worship

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SERMON 6

We Do the Right ThingMicah 6:2-8

OverviewAll our resources have been given to us by God to bring about

transformation, so we look to do the right thing with our time and gifts, money and possessions, body, mind and spirit, recognising we are accountable to God.

We look to collaborate with others where this will enhance our mission; are good stewards of God’s creation; challenge evil, injustice and oppression, and in the context of New Zealand, honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi (The Treaty of Waitangi).

Expected behaviours: Accountability, Stewardship, Partnership, Caring for the Environment, Reforming Society

Bible verses: James 4:17, Genesis 2:15, Micah 6:8SUGGESTED SCRIPTURE READINGS

James 4:17 “If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.”

Genesis 2:15 “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.”

Micah 6:6-8 “With what shall I come before the LORD and bow down before the exalted God?… He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

Matthew 25:14-30 vs 21 “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’

Outline

INTRODUCTIONIn addition to a new Mission Plan, our Territory has introduced

a set of seven values, derived primarily from our Soldier’s Covenant, that we believe reflect who we are, how we strive to act, and how we make decisions. Today’s message is about one of those values – We do the right thing

46 Sermon Outline

A woman had finished her shopping and returned to her car to find four men inside it. She dropped her shopping bags, drew a gun from her purse, and with a forceful voice said, "I have a gun, and I know how to use it! Get out of the car!" The men did not wait for a second invitation. They got out and ran like crazy!

The woman, understandably shaken, quickly loaded her shopping bags and got into the car. She just wanted to get out of there as fast as she could. But no matter how she tried, she could not get her key into the ignition.

Then it hit her: This isn't my car! She looked, and indeed her car was parked a few spaces away. She got out, looked around to see if the men were near, loaded the bags into her own car, and drove to the police station to turn herself in.

The desk sergeant, after hearing her story, nearly fell out of his chair laughing. He pointed to the other end of the counter, where four men were reporting a carjacking by a woman with glasses and curly white hair, less than five feet tall, and carrying a large handgun. No charges were filed. (Greg Laurie, A Time to Worship, Decision, Nov. 2001.)

She thought it was her car, but it really belonged to someone else. Our view of who owns things affects how we operate. The truth is: God owns everything. He owns that lady's car and the one she mistakenly got into. And He owns everything we call "ours." So if everything we have belongs to God, what is the right thing to do?

In the book of Matthew, Jesus tells the parable of the talents. [You could read the passage in Matthew 25 or this

paraphrase]Jesus describes the kingdom of heaven as similar to a man

going on a long journey. Before he leaves, the man gives three of his servants different amounts of money in denominations of talents. To the first servant, the master gives five talents, to the second, two talents; and to the last, one talent, each according to his abilities. Upon his return, the master asks what each did with the money.

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The first and second servants doubled their investments and receive their master’s praise. The last servant, who had received only one talent, reports that because he knew his master was a hard man, he buried his talent in the ground so he would be assured of returning the original amount. The master calls this servant wicked and lazy, saying that he should have at least placed the money in the bank where it would have generated some interest. The master removes the talent from the servant and orders that he be punished.

So what does this passage teach us about doing the right thing?

KNOW THISWe are stewards, not owners

In the beginning of Genesis, God creates everything and puts Adam in the Garden to work it and to take care of it. It is clear that man was created to work and that work is the stewardship of all of the creation that God has given him.

Psalm 24 says this, “The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.”

This is the fundamental principle of biblical stewardship. A steward is one who manages the possessions of another. God owns everything; we are simply managers or administrators acting on his behalf.

In the Parable of the Talents, the master entrusts his servants with ‘talents’ – the largest unit of currency at that time. This means the servants were entrusted with something that held value and that would have been significant or precious to the master.

Just like those servants, God entrusts us with many things including our gifts and abilities, those around us, the natural world and material possessions and wealth. Good stewardship means honouring God with all we have. It means we care for, as well as utilise, the things we have been entrusted with. It means doing the right thing with all God has given us.

What we need to remember is that God has provided all these things – they are never really truly ours!

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In Bill Peel’s article ‘Leadership Is Stewardship’ he suggests, “Although God gives us “all things richly to enjoy,” nothing is ours. Nothing really belongs to us. God owns everything; we’re responsible for how we treat it and what we do with it. While we complain about our rights here on earth, the Bible constantly asks, What about your responsibilities? Owners have rights; stewards have responsibilities.”

We are called as God’s stewards to manage that which belongs to God. While God has graciously entrusted us with the care, development, and enjoyment of everything he owns as his stewards, we are responsible to manage his holdings well and according to his desires and purposes.

A good way to think of it is like renting versus house sitting. When we rent a property, we can often have the mind-set that it is the owner’s responsibility to take care of things, to maintain the grounds and property because we pay to enjoy the benefits and they should look after what they own. However, when we have been asked to housesit for a friend we make sure the property is kept in good condition, we take care of their possessions and want to make sure it’s perfect when they return. We understand it’s their property and they own it but also, we feel privileged to use it, and so we look after it and accept the responsibility to do so.

We need to have the attitude of a house sitter when it comes to all that God has entrusted us with. When we consider things in this way – that everything belongs to God and we are fortunate to be taking care of it on his behalf, it changes our attitudes. We understand that everything belongs to our master and we have simply been entrusted with it.

Doing the right thing means being responsible for the things we have been given. But it’s not just being responsible – we will also be held to account.We will be held to account

One of the major principles of the Christian world view is that of accountability – as distinct from the secular world that denies an ultimate accountability or blithely follows those who do.

Romans 14:12 says, “So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.”

One day each one of us will be called to give an account for how we have managed what the Master has given us, including our time, money, abilities, information, wisdom, relationships, and authority.

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In the Parable of the Talents, the master returns and asks what each of the servants did with the talent he gave them. The first two servants explained that they utilised the talent and put them to work, doubling what the master had initially given them. The master expresses his praise and pleasure to the two servants. ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’

However, when the last servant explains he hid the talent in the ground and did nothing with it, the master is disappointed and wants nothing to do with him. It’s clear that if we are entrusted with something, we will have to give an account for what we did.

Rick Warren in his book ‘The Purpose Driven Life’ suggests there are two crucial questions God will ask us:

“What did you do with my Son, Jesus Christ?”“What did you do with what I gave you?”The first question is all about what we did with the good news

of Jesus. Did we accept Him? Did we follow Him? Did we share the gospel with others? Did we reflect who he was and share His love and grace with others?

The second question is all about our stewardship and what we did with all we had. What did you do with your life—all the gifts, talents, opportunities, energy, relationships, and resources God gave you? Did you spend them on yourself, or did you use them for the purposes God made you for?

When we understand that we are stewards, not owners, this changes our attitudes from entitlement to gratefulness; from our rights, to our responsibilities. And when we add to that our desire to please our Master, it makes us want to give our best.

The Salvation Army in the USA uses the tagline ‘doing the most good’. This phrase can be misinterpreted as arrogant, but reflects well what we mean by doing the right thing – we do the most we can, with everything we have, to serve our Master.

If we truly had the attitude of everything we have is a gift from God, to be administered for Him, and for which we will one day be called to account, how would this affect the way we treated …

[We have listed a whole range of areas that we should serve God through and will be held accountable for. Instead of including all of them, we suggest you choose to expand on the one that would be most helpful in your setting.]

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The environment: God has entrusted us with the care of our world, and we are accountable to God for how we treat it and for how we conduct ourselves within it. In Genesis, God created humans in his image and then gave humankind dominion over the environment. Increasingly scientists are pointing to a point of no return on certain elements of the world in which we live, because of our collective neglect of the planet. God created us to care for the natural world, to work it and take care of it. To do the right thing is to look after our universe.

Mission outcomes: In recent years the Church has been largely ignored as our nation trusts in economic strength and education at the expense of spirituality and character. To do the right thing in a Christian sense is to be obedient to the commission Jesus gave us to teach his commandments and love others. We need to find ways to work with others. When we partner together, we can achieve more. Imagine how much more we could achieve if we partnered together, shared resources and utilised each other’s knowledge and skills.

Our time, talents, and resources: Everything we have is a gift from God – how we choose to use these things should reflect our love for Him. To do the right thing is to honour God with these and use them for His purposes.

Our relationships and how we treat others: This not only includes those in our families and communities, but those in our global community who we affect with how we choose to live and what we choose to buy. What is your attitude to the Treaty of Waitangi? How are you embracing Māori culture in your congregation? To do the right thing is to reflect Christ’s love in these relationships and to respect and value all people with our decisions.

The poor / injustice: Is it ‘their own fault’ or ‘not our problem’, or do we have a responsibility to partner with God to end injustices? Our communities have so many issues that we can get involved with and bring about change. For example, how do we make purchasing decisions? Do we support ethically traded goods, or buy what’s best for us? What is happening in your community/our nation/the world that is unfair, divisive or hurting others? This will be breaking God’s heart – shouldn’t it be breaking ours too? The right thing is to do something about these injustices and be the light in our communities.

Our work: What is our attitude to work? Is it a privilege, or our right? Do people see us giving our best? Would they be drawn towards God by our behaviour at work?

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In Colossians, Paul writes, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

When we have the attitude that all that we have belongs to God, and all that we do is working for God – it becomes a lot easier to do the right thing.

Shawn Kennedy, an American pastor, puts it this way, “The great tragedy in life is not that we didn’t receive more, but rather that we didn’t do more with what we have been given.”

We need to be faithful stewards of all God has given us within the opportunities presented through his providence to glorify him, serve the common good and further his Kingdom. We need to do the right thing.

We also need to allow ourselves to be accountable to those around us. When we allow ourselves to be accountable now, we know we will have someone we trust and respect pull us up when we aren’t doing the right thing. Being accountable encourages us to be honest and humble, learn and develop, and pushes us to keep going.

Application

CONCLUSIONIn some circles the Church is increasingly lacking credibility.

Monday to Saturday are living contrasts with Sunday’s piety. Professed morality and ethics are coloured by the standards and practices of the world we live in.

We can be accused of preaching ecology by saying this is God’s world and we are its custodians while not even keeping our Corps grounds tidy, let alone adopting a community project. We are at times put to shame by good people of little faith who nevertheless have a concern for issues and do something about it.

It’s sometimes easy to neglect our mandate of taking care of what God has entrusted to us – our gifts and abilities, those around us, the natural world and material possessions and wealth. But we are called to do the right thing – to be good stewards and to be accountable.

Doing the right thing comes out of a spirit of love for God. It is the realisation that everything is God’s and the attitude of being grateful for all we have that compels us to serve our Master accordingly.52 Sermon Outline

Joel Osteen says “Keep a good attitude and do the right thing even when it's hard. When you do that you are passing the test of love.”

So how is God speaking to you today?Do you honour Him as the master of everything? Is your

mind-set of that of an owner or that of a steward?Does your use of your time, finances and possessions reflect

an attitude of gratitude to God, or self-entitlement?Do you consider others in our global community when you

make decisions – like buying Fair Trade?Do you do anything out of concern for God’s creation? Do you actively look for ways to partner with others to

enhance what you can do on your own?Are you allowing yourself to be accountable to those around

you?

The Salvation Army greatly values those people who will do the right thing, guided by the spirit of God’s love.

What is one thing you would like to change, to do the right thing, as a result of what you’ve heard today?

Other Resources

For further study Under the guidance of General Andre Cox, International

Headquarters have distributed a booklet describing a campaign of accountability.

Paul Borden’s book. ‘Hitting the Bullseye’ on accountability.

Some ideas you may wish to promote to your corps Be more proactive in addressing social and moral issues in

a spirit of love because it is the right thing to do Make regular representations to the local politicians on

matters of concern. Society needs reforming. Form a political group from within the congregation and regularly visit with your local politician.

Adopt an ecological project – Corps gardens? An older person’s garden? A street or stream clean-up? Something! Do the right thing.

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Commit to doing the right thing for others in our global community – commit to buying only Fair Trade drinking supplies for your corps/centre, commit to sponsoring kids, commit to sponsoring another corps or care centre in the world.

Preach integrity – what it means to do the right thing in the spirit of love.

Worship resources Change my heart O God – Vineyard Lord I Need You – Matt Maher I Surrender – Hillsong From the Inside Out-Hillsong I Give You My Heart – Hillsong I Surrender All – Hymn Take My Life and Let it Be – Hymn / Chris Tomlin I want dear Lord a heart that’s true and clean - SASB This is my Father’s world – SASB Highlight an area of your corps/community where people

are partnering together to achieve more Personal Story – ‘Did I do the right thing?’

54 Sermon Outline

SERMON 7

We Support our ArmyPhilippians 2:1-4

OverviewWe are proud to be a part of God’s international Salvation

Army, and willingly support our Army and fellow Salvationists, both locally and around the world. We are loyal to our leaders and remain true to the international principles and practices of The Salvation Army, to win the world for Jesus.

Expected behaviours: Unity, Spirit of Salvationism, Active in Service, Contributing Internationally

Bible verses: John 17:20-23, Acts 1:8SUGGESTED SCRIPTURE READINGS

Philippians 2:1-4 vs 2 “Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ … then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.”

John 17: 20-23 20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you…”

Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Outline

INTRODUCTIONIn addition to a new Mission Plan, our Territory has introduced

a set of seven values, derived primarily from our Soldier’s Covenant, that we believe reflect who we are, how we strive to act, and how we make decisions. Today’s message is about one of those values – We support our Army.

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William and Catherine Booth officially started The Christian Mission in1865 in the East End of London. The appalling conditions experienced by Britain's working classes led William and Catherine Booth to focus their efforts on the poorest of the working classes, known at that time as the 'Submerged Tenth' of society.

Their mission was to preach Christianity to the masses, but William and Catherine Booth were realists. They recognised that in addition to spiritual rebirth, the people to whom their ministry was directed needed physical, emotional and social restoration as well as material assistance. In 1878, they changed the name to The Salvation Army and the movement quickly spread from London to many parts of the world.

The Salvation Army was founded on a passion to see souls saved, while also addressing the social, physical and emotional needs of people. This holistic approach, along with our military structure and some of our beliefs and practices, made us distinctive and is what makes us distinctive today.

These days, The Salvation Army is at work in 128 countries. There are over 1 million soldiers (1,056,722) at over 13 thousand corps (13,826). There are almost 1.5 million children attending Sunday school (1,422,567) and over 26 thousand officers currently serving (26,675). Imagine how many more people are also attending our corps, connected to our community services and being reached by our programmes and people.

The Army internationally has thousands of mission and ministry outlets that serve people and meet need. From rehabilitation care and hospital facilities, to refugee work and disaster relief, and prison visits to practical care of the homeless and vulnerable families. The Army’s mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in his name without discrimination.

What an incredibly diverse and wide-spread movement we are a part of! What an amazing thing it is to be part of an international family that has such a vast and significant impact on countless people and communities!

The glue that binds us together in an international fellowship is our common commitment to living like Jesus and our common task of transforming lives, caring for people and reforming society.

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But an Army is nothing without the work, commitment and support of its people. So what does it look like to support our Army?KNOW THIS

Supporting our Army means being proud of itOur Army is well-known for the incredible work we currently

do and have been doing in communities for the last 150 years. We have an amazing public profile that has come about from the work and commitment of our people. And it’s easy to see why!

Our Army does a lot of great things and stands for a lot of worthy causes. We’re willing to petition the government when we don’t agree. We’re willing to put our money and resources into areas that benefit people and communities and we’re willing to work with the least, the last and the lost. And we’ve been doing this since we began. This is something to be proud of!

There are so many incredible stories from over the years of our Army making a difference in innovative and transformative ways. One example is Hamodava drinks.

In the late 19th and early 20th century, Commandant Herbert Booth was in charge of The Salvation Army in Australia & New Zealand. He noticed that there was money to be made in importing and selling tea, so he set up a business to help finance the work of the Army, particularly its work overseas.

The venture was so successful that a warehouse was purchased in Melbourne, and The Salvation Army began to blend its own distinctive product known as Hamodava Tea; Hamodava being a Singhalese word for army or ‘Army Tea’. At the same time, to make life better for the producers, The Salvation Army purchased land in South Asia and arranged for indigenous farmers to buy the land in payment for their tea harvest. Because of this, Hamodava tea was arguably one of the first companies to use a fair trade model. [Summary adapted from Hamodava.com]

Imagine the change this would have made to the people growing tea in South Asia! And then imagine what was achieved with the money raised from the Hamodava venture.

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The exciting thing is - our Army is still making a difference in innovative and ways today. Years after it stopped production, Hamodava has been reborn with the help of Lieutenant Jordan Westrupp. Hamodava is still committed to the fair trade model and a portion of the purchase price goes directly to The Salvation Army’s front line social work.

This is just one of the many different stories we can be proud of!

[You could refer to some local stories from your context instead of the Hamodava story or you could include some stories/info about the work some of the local Bridge, Community Ministries or other centres in your area do]

Think about the countless stories from your corps. Now think about how stories like that happen in thousands of different communities across 128 countries. This is something to be proud of!

It’s this commitment to transforming all areas of people’s lives that makes us different form a lot of other churches and organisations. The Salvation Army has many distinctives that make us who we are – our military structure, our stand on the sacraments, our commitment to social reform, our emphasis on innovation in winning the world for Jesus and our stand to have women in leadership are just a few of the ways we choose to be different. These are all something to be proud of!

We should be proud of our Army, what it stands for, who it works for and why we do what we do.Supporting our Army means encouraging unity

An Army works together better when it’s united. In Philippians 4, it says “Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”

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God calls his people to be like-minded and one in spirit and as an Army, we need to ensure we are working together and not against each other. Sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in friendly fire, choosing to tear someone else or the ‘system’ down. It can be easy to see the negatives and focus on things we think need changing, or the people we don’t like working alongside. But God calls us to a higher standard, a standard that requires humility to work in unity with others.

This means we need to be supporting our leaders and their vision. It means inviting all voices into conversations and decisions, and working for the good of all people. It means caring for all people and looking for ways to involve others. It means honouring and thanking people for the work they do and encouraging each other.

We are a much stronger Army when we work together and strive to be in unity with one another. Winston Churchill put it like this, “When there is no enemy within, the enemies outside cannot hurt you.”

Supporting our Army means having a spirit of Salvationism

When Salvationists all around the world sign their Soldier’s Covenant, they make a vow with God that they “will show the spirit of Salvationism.” What does this mean? What is this spirit of Salvationism?

“The spirit of the Army is the driving force behind ordinary people bringing Heaven to earth in the name of Jesus.” Serving others is important, but there is an important spiritual and eternal dynamic at work that is at the very core of who The Salvation Army is. Salvation –deliverance from the effects and consequences of sin – is essential to our identity. It’s even part of our name—so we must continue to proclaim the saving message of Jesus Christ. It’s part of our first value Putting Jesus First – we work to make Jesus Known and invite people into a relationship with Him. It’s the reason why we do what we do.

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The early Salvation Army was about doing all they could, in all the different ways they could to reach people. The Salvation Army adopted brass music and timbrels to attract people to their message. They petitioned governments about better work conditions and worked with vulnerable people that were marginalised by society, because they knew meeting practical and social need was part of the Salvation process. They were some of the earliest filmmakers and producers of fair trade beverages because they were willing to use any method to reach people.150 years later, we might look different and some of our methods and practices may have been dropped, adapted or replaced, but our spirit is still the same.

Each of us are still called to have a spirit of Salvationism – to see the world won for Jesus in whatever way we can.

Supporting our Army means contributing to itThe strength of the movement is in its people. The Bible

suggests that every person has a part to play and a way to contribute to the life of a church and community. The Salvation Army is no different.

The Salvation Army is a huge world-wide movement that relies heavily on the support of its people. There are so many incredible things happening across our global community that just couldn’t happen without the support of people. A large number of Salvation Army territories working in some of the poorest countries in the world survive solely on the support of other territories. And we are invited to play our part – through things like the Self Denial appeal, taking on a sister corps and child sponsorship. In New Zealand alone, we support over 120,000 people through our community ministries. Think how much bigger this number is when you include all areas of mission and ministry.

[You could list or suggest some local ways to get involved]Without the contribution from others, some of the essential

work in The Salvation Army just couldn’t happen. Supporting our Army means we contribute to the life of it.

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One way the Army encourages people to play their part is through soldiership. Soldiership can be considered as the next step in someone’s faith journey – it’s a public commitment to a set of beliefs and ways to outwork these. It’s a commitment to God and a commitment to doing all you can for Him through The Salvation Army. Of course you can support The Salvation Army without being a soldier, but soldiership is a bold way of saying ‘I believe in what The Salvation Army is about and I am willing to play my part!’

Without the time, financial and practical support of people – The Salvation Army would not be as effective as it is. Our Army relies on the support and contribution of its people and we all have a part to play.SO WHAT SHOULD WE DO?

What does supporting our Army mean in practice? Recognise there is distinctiveness about The Salvation

Army, its origin and development that is unique and important. Be proud of our Army.

Encourage unity, support our leaders and don’t get involved in friendly fire.

Do all we can for all those we can to win the world for Jesus. Take on a spirit of Salvationism and do our best.

Take the Soldier’s Covenant seriously. See it as much more than a standard form of Church membership and a way to contribute to the life of our movement.

Find ways to contribute back to the transformative work of our Army.

ApplicationThere is a quote that says, “be careful not to bore holes in the

ship in which you are sailing”. We need to get rid of the friendly fire we can so often get caught up in and be proud of who we are, what we have achieved and all that God is going to do through The Salvation Army.

We are called to work together, be one in spirit and mind. We need to encourage unity in everything we do – realising we can achieve more when we work together and work together well.

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Let’s take heart and courage from the thought that as you live out your life in Christ you do so with a huge crowd of fellow Salvationists around the world. We all have a part to play and our contribution to the wider work of The Salvation Army reaches more people than we will ever know. Why not consider signing up to be a soldier – someone willing to stand up for what they believe and do all they can to impact those around them.CONCLUSION

In writing to the church in Philippi, Paul writes of the importance of each congregation being of like mind and spirit. He writes … ‘make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.’

While his words are addressed to a congregation, the theme is desirable for an International movement. To be of like mind and purpose is valued.

The implication is that Salvationists, in serving in the spirit of The Army, will act in unity, serve actively and recognise the internationality of the movement.

It is the promise of every soldier in The Salvation Army, no matter how we are perceived, to live out this spirit—a spirit of self-sacrifice, putting others ahead of ourselves, loving one other, sharing the good news of Jesus Christ and caring for the needy and disadvantaged.

Every person has a place in the Army and the Army needs all people. Will you stand up and support our Army?

Other Resources

For further study Richard Collier’s book ‘The General Next to God’ Roy Hattersley’s book ‘Blood and Fire’ You can find up to date Salvation Army stories and news

from http://www.salvationarmy.org/ihq/news and http://www.salvationarmy.org/ihq/projects

Worship resources Song Send me Out:

http://www.worshiptogether.com/songs/send-me-out/ SASB ‘Salvation Army, Army of God! Onward to conquer ’

62 Sermon Outline

Use any of the Self Denial videos from recent years to highlight the work of The Salvation Army internationally

Some ideas you may wish to promote to your corpsMake this a ‘Celebrate the wider Salvation Army’ day. For example: Make a feature of the International Salvation Army – with a

map and statistics of where we are currently serving Includes stories from our history. You could make this

more creative by asking the children to do some research; or interviewing someone

Salvation Army history (e.g. the Booths; match factories, the donut girls; prison gate ministries)

This territory history (e.g. how we started; share a story from our archives (http://www.salvationarmy.org.nz/our-community/bcm/archives-heritage) such as about Lt Col Weggery, or Ernest Holdaway)

Local history – ask an older person to share a memory or story from your own centre

Share information about what The Salvation Army does today

Invite representatives from a local social service centre to share what they do each day

Show the short video clip that was provided with the 2015 Soldier Renewal Sunday pack that highlights what we do today (www.sarmy.net.nz >> Strategic Mission Plan >> Mission Resources >> Soldiership resources)

Include a feature in your worship meetings to introduce established soldiers and newcomers so that people get to know each other better– interviews, my job talks, testimonies etc.

Organise a fund raising event for equipment for a tiny tots or children’s programme somewhere in the Army’s world (perhaps start with Fiji or Tonga?)

Promote the reading of books describing Salvation Army History (or watch Our People on RightNow Media).

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