Blessing Our Community
Blessing Our Community • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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If you have your Bibles, please turn to Gen. 12. As you turn there, listen to
By the blessing of the upright a city is exalted, but by the mouth of the wicked it is overthrown.
We’ll come back to that.
Genesis 12 is where we find Yahweh’s call or invitation to Abram to partner with Him in redeeming the world or reversing this global curse, if you will.
Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.
And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.
What does that mean - you will be a blessing? We’ll explore that in a moment. But for now, understand that God’s invitation to Abram is the premise behind this Nazarene initiative that began last Sunday called Bless Our Community.
So,
What is Bless our Community?
This is our regional initiative. The Nazarene church operates in 6 global regions (read more at Nazarene.org). Ours is the United States and Canada Region. Our regional directors who oversee nearly 5,100 Nazarene congregations have encouraged us to unify by focusing on a 4-year cycle of resurgence. In 2023, there was a regional call to unity in prayer, this year 2024, our focus is on Blessing our Communities, 2025 will emphasize bringing people to Jesus, and finishing in 2026 with making Christlike disciples. Then the cycle repeats with the hope revitalizing the church across Canada and the U.S.
Blessing Our Community is the Missional Church mobilizing outside the walls of our buildings, making a positive impact in our communities and sharing the Good News of Christ.
Which is our mission anyway.
That’s what, but
Why is KNAZ participating?
We’re not forced to do this, but it is an invitation from our directors. I’m usually leery of initiatives like this or church growth strategies, but this one caught my eye. As I did some research, it’s not cookie cutter conveyor belt assembly line method of church growth or evangelism. It’s not “5 easy steps to growing a mega-church by Sunday.” It’s not even about increasing attendance.
This initiative is about congregations seeking God’s presence, wisdom, revelation.
This is about seeking first the Kingdom of God and waiting on God before we jump or step into something we shouldn’t.
Historically, when the church blesses its communities as Christ leads, good things happen, and lives are transformed. The church, more than any other organization in history, is responsible for starting more schools, hospitals, orphanages, helping alleviate famine and more. So, we want to see that happen here in Klamath – that as we go and bless our community and meet people where they, good things will happen, and people will come to know Jesus.
Imagine what could happen when nearly 5,100 Nazarene churches between Easter and Pentecost pray together, seek God’s face together, listen to the Spirit’s voice together, and then bless our communities together. A lot could happen. Consider this - this past week I was going through the prayer journal (I hope everyone received one. If not, let us know. Read the surrounding text.) and something occurred to me. I need to pray not only for Klamath Nazarene, but for the 5,100 churches in our Region. And then I got excited. I have loved ones around the country who do not know Jesus, and I'm certain they live in proximity to a Nazarene church. So what if those churches who are blessing their communities happen to bless one of my loved ones and one of my loved ones comes to know Christ? All the more reason to pray. And of course it doesn't have to be a Nazarene church - I get that - but this is the movement right now that we're talking about.
How do we do participate?
The 50 days between Easter and Pentecost,
We must pray, asking God how we as individuals and as a church body should Bless Our Community.
We must pray as individuals and with our groups - Sunday school classes, Bible studies, small groups, wherever we gather – we must pray about this. Every time you get together, please take some time to ask God to show us what He wants us to do.
In addition, I’m asking all of us, whoever is able to gather every Sunday at 6pm, starting tonight, to corporately seek God’s presence and revelation. We’ll do this every Sunday until Pentecost. On Pentecost (May 19) I want us to worship, celebrate and share what God has revealed. Again, we’re praying for God’s presence, wisdom, and revelation.
We want God’s ideas – not just good ideas.
As we seek God’s Spirit to lead us, please record what you believe God is revealing to you, your family, your group, or to the church. We want to collect your responses before Pentecost, make a list and then share with the congregation.
Our goal is that we will discover a common theme or thread
either for the congregation or for smaller groups. Once we know what God wants us to do, then we will begin planning how to take action.
Now,
Blessing our community is about following Christ, building genuine relationships with people and earning the “right” to be heard (i.e. share the Gospel).
Of course, we have the right to share the Gospel anytime and anywhere. But it’s usually better received when we build trust and show genuine care.
People are people. People are not projects, and they are not ministries.
Projects and ministries are the means we use to serve people.
One of the complaints against the church is that we use backdoor methods, bait and switch schemes just to tell people about Jesus or get people in door. That’s not always the truth, but the Church is guilty of doing things like that. In some cases, we’ve loved 'em and left ‘em, which can do more harm than good. We’re not interested in that. We want to bless and serve because we genuinely care about people, and more importantly, Jesus genuinely cares about people.
Now, at the beginning of this message I mentioned God’s invitation to Abram, later renamed Abraham. In that invitation, God said,
And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.
What does that mean - to be a blessing? We’ll explore this passage in more detail next week, but for now think on this - the word
Bless is an expansive and fluid word depending on context. At its core, it’s about creating or giving life.
Whether it’s an action or word, physical or spiritual, a blessing is intended to create or give life. Are the gears turning?
Jesus said and still says to His followers in Matthew 5, you are the salt of the earth and the light of the world, both of which are life-giving and life-sustaining. We are called, invited by the Living God to be agents of creating life in a dying world.
So, let’s spend the next several weeks seeking God’s revelation, asking Him how we should bless or create life in our communities. Ask the Holy Spirit to stir our hearts and minds with His ideas, and to see people who need life – not projects.
By the blessing of the upright a city is exalted, but by the mouth of the wicked it is overthrown.
Before we close, let’s take a moment to listen to the Spirit. As you do,
To receive Christ and His free gift of new life: Admit. Believe. Commit.
With all this talk about blessing – our dear Wilma, who has blessed and brought life to this church for 24 years is moving to Medford. Wilma is a pillar of this church. Before I arrived in Klamath, several people told me, “Pastor, you need to meet Wilma. If you need prayer for anything, ask Wilma because when Wilma prays, things happen.”
After service, all are encouraged to join Wilma downstairs in the fellowship hall for a little farewell. Snacks and drinks are on the house.
Wilma, we are grateful for all you have done for this church and the Kingdom of God. We are grateful for who you are, and for showing us what it means to love and follow Jesus. Before we close, let me read a few verses from Proverbs 31. I’ve taken the liberty to modify a little.
To you Wilma, an excellent woman who can find? You are far more precious than jewels. You have done us good all the days of your life. You have worked with willing hands. You have provided for us and blessed us.
You have dressed yourself with strength and you have been strong for us. You have opened your hands to the poor and reached out to the needy. You’re not afraid of snow (v21).
Strength and dignity are your clothing, and you stand firm when faced with the adversities and challenges of life. From your mouth comes teaching and wisdom. You have looked well to the ways of your household and your church.
Therefore, your children and church family rise up and call you blessed; and we praise our God for you. Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. “Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.”
O Jesus, give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her as she settles into a new home. Wilma, we will miss you, and we are honored to know you.