Distinctives of a Contagious Church, Part 2

What defines an attractive church distinctive of contagious churches would tested the body pulls closer together when one hurts. We all heard going through a difficult time for folks around the care we agree with those and will go live and enjoy the moments of bliss we're in it together as the Christians grew to understand the critical importance of community their walk with God was strong. In fact, it was accelerated by doing life together. Well today on Insight for living. Chuck Swindoll continues his series called the church awakening in this next were looking for those New Testament references about Christians thriving community. These real-life snapshots help us understand what constitutes a healthy local church. Chuck titled this next message in the series.

Distinctives of a contagious church father, we set ourselves apart from the sewing of the good seed.

We pray that you will find our hearts open supple ready for the planting of the seed. Remove from us the cares and the concerns of the responsibilities of life that we are all living with take away those things that would preoccupy our thoughts give us the ability to focus on things eternal. You're a good father we've never known another father like you because you give good gifts to your children. We learn from you to give in return. These are our gifts to you just as the ministry would participate in is yours. So the money we earn. So the lives we live. It's all for you coming from you, we return it to you with hearts full of gratitude.

The magnificent name of our Savior Jesus Christ. We pray and begin. Everyone said a man listening to Insight for living to search the Scriptures with Chuck Swindoll sure to download his searching the Scriptures. Studies by going to Insight world.org/studies and now the message from Chuck called distinctives of a contagious church I've said for years. The thing that makes second Timothy come alive is what I remember, it is dungeon tall Paul says that the good fight I've fought the course, I have finished in the faith I have You be like that you live like that you are in a church like that. So with that in mind I suggested we look at for timeless characteristics of a contagious church. The first one is in verse 1B strong. It is always necessary to be strong in grace. Verse one my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus church that's contagious is strong in grace. The second distinctive, I find in the second verse those involved are faithful to mentor the young churches that are contagious faithfully mentor those who are coming along in the Christian life. I love that thought. Don't you see people as opportunities to build into their lives.

Prof Kendrick used to say to what everyone needs a Barnabas. That's the one who handed the baton to Paul and every Paul to Timothy someone before us meant toward us. We need someone beyond this, who were mentoring otherwise were a stagnant lake with little life by the way, you know, a profession that hasn't forgotten this. The medical profession. They don't just graduate people from medical school and safe. Okay, let's carve away start cotton I'm about ready to go. It did the surgery because you know I never really told anybody but let let's go on here is the way somebody's been I want to know someone who went across the country to study under the most outstanding medical man in this field or woman and I have learned from her from him. The techniques of doing medical work correctly spent years being shaped meant toward confronting reproved review corrected and finally when I spent all those years I'm able to take that scalpel and make the right incision at the exact place and do precise surgery. That's what you want before I go any further I have to tell you I believe a seminary is effective when the professors are more than simply instructors of information they mentor students you want to find a school where the props care about your life.

You're not just number 314 in the class so I don't believe great seminary education can take place online. Some things can information can go online with the touch of a mentor. You gotta have a warm body next to a warm body. What I say this with such conviction, I am the product of mentoring their big man in my life, some of whom you would not know if I called her name who made the difference in my life.

I was just a kid when it started as an primary class thinkers third grade and I already run off to teachers look back on that and you know that you shot me, but they they just left the class, crying as I recall and so I'm sitting on the window ledge, second floor of third Baptist Church or whatever the city was and I got the window pull down and I'm licking the window pipe. Why what did I just push me out. Just getting you know what they brought in the third teacher. He was a veteran from the several landings in World War II, a Marine. I lick the window anymore.

But you know what truth be told, he never raised his voice. He spoke just like nobody said on the containment but very soft.

You know, what's more important that you know what I learned quickly left me he saw something kid and I was an opportunity for him. Time passed and I get into high school and another man you would never know who taught me how to overcome stuttering stuttered so badly I couldn't get us and Dick Niemi said to me one.

I want you to be on my debate team and I is that I said maybe you don't have time for me to be on the team easily will teach how to speak he make a contribution my life when I did is eulogy. I'll never forget the moving moment when relapsed what it meant to me.

Mentors taught me that my mind was out running my mouth now I have the opposite problem, but he helped heal me paste my words, and to this day when I come to some words alone stutter member.

The technique he taught me see mentoring is not walking around quoting verses to each other. How does that one person you claim it one claiming is what verse you have under this one have a meal etc. verse 12 verse writing on that is not mentoring driving people away with the Bible.

Mentoring is looking people building another lot is helping with things they struggle with seeing value that they don't see himself. Timothy is a better he's timid and so Paul says to him, rather frequently, but up Timothy will be timid about this, and Timothy just is forever grateful for his mental church.

This contagious cares enough about people to build another lie. Remember that she remember that there's 1/3 distinctive. Don't miss this. It says suffer hardship with me. Third, distinctive of contagious churches when when tested, the body pulls closer together when one hurts.

We all heard nobody hurts solo you live in a silo would stone prior church going through a difficult time there folks around the care we would have a group called soul care who lived to help you in times like that week we have divorce care we have those who work with those are victims of rape. We have people who struggle with addictions churches.

Some churches kick you out when you have addictions. We welcome you in.

We want to help you get over it get past the next time we suffer with using the word with that's at the beginning of the verb. Literally, the text reads with suffer hardship me with this verse. That's the secret of contagion good time for me to mention that if you're looking for a place to find comfort and ease.

Stay away from the church's churches and for hard times. We as a body are facing challenges that we could right now. Imagine in the years ahead with this, pull us together like the early church who would've ever thought so many of them would have been larger buried families because of the persecution they press right on their ranks grew in the spirit electric spirit of enthusiasm you'll find that the world system testing comes they scatter like rats on a sinking ship.

The church pull together to find out so-and-so's going through a phone call is made.

A contact is made.

Somebody shows up at your door.

Somebody brings a meal, suffering with people in that way the three metaphors he uses verse three as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. Verse five if anyone competes as an athlete. He does not win the prize unless he competes according to the rule.

Verse six hard-working farmer is great analogies who ever heard of a soldier doing a deal in the business world while carrying a weapon on foreign field can't do that. There's a fight to fight. I love the way worn weirs be put in Christian service means invading the battle ground not a playground and you are the weapons God uses to attack and defeat the enemy. When God uses Moses Ronnie needed Moses and to lift when God used David's sling. He needs David's hand to swing it. When God builds a ministry he needs somebody's surrendered body to get the job done. Contagious churches made up of people who get update off hard job done. We agree with those who greet and we applaud those who laugh and enjoy the moments of bliss we're in it together. The world never heard of such a place. You're on your own. You will hear that a lot of times when you move into the real world, you're on your own here there's competition is in the everything about the almighty dollar. You do it for the box and you do more. Could you make in more blocks is not ministry do weddings because I get money to do weddings bury people because I get a honorarium to do a burial long since gave up that idea bury people because my hearts broken minister to people out of love is what you do.

I love it when a woman came up to me right up to the seconds are. She had a dear son who is a special special son, special education Sunday was standing there sorted Groningen.

I reached out, shook his head geez I will tell you something after this message she said this is the greatest church you care about my son, care about my boy. We do special ed child. We got a place for she's got a spot here. We treated with dignity. We suffer with you is not blowing smoke. We stopped doing that we stop in contagious people can't stay away. What's special ed.

What's special child mothered by a single parent, or maybe parents together doesn't want to have a place help love their child. John Stott writes appalled.

He gave and did not count the cost. He followed and did not heed the wounds he toiled and did not seek for rest. He labored and asked for no reward suffer together with me as a soldier as an athlete as a farmer for the former ever get applauded for the people of the end of the Roebling tractor is right all plowing and nobody is their wives then open the band and Svensson walks inside washes up, needs a great big meal never gains a pound wise, a hard-working farmer as well as new generation the farm is such hard work.

I stayed at the home of a farmer years ago is ministering the San Joaquin Valley.

It was in little spot.

Their joint and I was in their home and he happened to be an owner of an orchard orange orchard behind the whole just loaded with mortgages so one crisp morning I walked out back in.

I recheck he's walking with me not pluck this mortgage off the street Manley that just think it just happened. He goes not just But not Jewish Fruit is 33313. What's this three upgrade over the street.

It did not just happen, hard-working farmer gets a job, hard-working people in ministry get the job W hard work ahead of us. Great days ahead that great little building over there about sitting around watching the sun rise and fall in that it is work.

We got ahead of us that's praying like would not pray before getting together like we've never gotten together before. That's believing in one another like would never believe this is not a cheerleading session. This is true is what makes us contagious folks coming thinking really brag about how big it is. I want to ever hear anyone brag about how big's is about how big it is big because we can't tip for people in this size joint.

So we got a bigger one to put should call joint but it it's a sanctuary and and and and will have all kinds of people come with all kind of expectations you talk about parking lot problem. It will our parking lot attendants baseball bats to encourage people to please do as I ask you to do. Probably not, but it just dawned on me to say that supper with you gives new meaning to the word doesn't fourth and finally I love this one where we endure all please notice fourth characteristic of a contagious church in doing whatever for the benefit of others to the word endure. That's the key.

We endure all things for the sake of those who were chosen word is hopeful men all Hoople means under mineral means to abide. Abide under a hold together. We don't quit.

I don't resign walk out on you. You don't walk out on others.

We say will do it we do it we savored our vacation Bible school women knocked out of the vacation Bible school.

We sever another adult class with an adult class that we still have room to contain the people live because we are committed to doing whatever for the benefit of we make room for those who want to know about Jesus in our church stays on message and before we know it. That will contain tell you the truth we could build it big enough to contain liquid you put up with and you keep coming. It's all about context. Now how do we sustain it very simple. We remember the distinctives and we watch out for erosion. Remember the distinctive watch out for erosion. Remember, the distinctives watch out for erosion.

We are on the lookout for erosion when I get the drift.

Stay on message goes when you drift to change your whole identity. For example, came across a great true story this guy right when I lived in Atlanta several years ago I noted in the Yellow Pages in the listing of restaurants and entry for a place called Church of God grill peculiar name aroused my curiosity, so I dialed the number.

Man answered with a cheery voice Church of God grill. I asked how his restaurant had been given such an unusual name. He told me well well omission down here preaching serving people in the church we started selling chicken dinners at the church on Sunday to help pay the bills. Well, people go through the like a chicken more than the preaching we need such a business that eventually we just cut back on the church stuff stored in serving more chicken. After a while we disclose door. The church altogether kept on serving chicken dinners, but we kept the name and that's what started the Church of God grill kind of a joint that sold our church will not be used on bridegroom in the future we may serving chicken yeah but I knew about the chick it's about this stuff. Many women we are in for the time of our lives. We are this most exciting thing you've ever been a part of, and there are times I pinch myself and tell myself this is really going on. This is downright thrilling. Let's not hype working to find guys like this to ordained ministry here working to find ministries going on like here rarely. The only place where one place worth people's time.

We just can remember these distinctives and watch out for erosion. You have my word power has together. We do that with me. You may be one of the tire kickers you came along and you watch this crowd of people show up in your curious and wound up here and before you know it you started coming more often than not coming in when you know what you may have never even met the Savior, so no wonder you're still pretty confused about a lot of this stuff you know he is available and he doesn't limit his time to eight to 12 o'clock on Sunday is available 24 seven some point in your life you realize you can't get along without them. And when you do, he's there simple prayer, Lord God, I acknowledge in the center of never trusted in your son Jesus with my life. I'm doing that now.

Thank you for that gift. I trust him and I've taken is my own sake. Thank you for coming into my life. How thrilling it is our father to realize what you have begun and what you would be gone you will continue. How wonderful it is and it isn't built around one person or few people or some significant individuals who have obvious gifts that really do move us and help shape us and mentor us was about the body's about the healthy, caring, growing and maturing body, even the least of us hold in high esteem. Teach us to do that morning on this exciting day we reaffirm our commitment to you and your son pray for those who are alien never really trusted you going through the motions but there only religious pray they'll become believers in Christ. This trust him to cause that to happen in your time in your way.

In the name of Jesus. Amen something Chuck Swindoll said as inspire you to learn more about God perhaps you are prepared to take your next steps in starting a relationship with him inside for living has dedicated a webpage for this purpose that includes a number of helpful free resources.

Take some time to learn what's available to you by going to inside world.org and then as a complement to the study, called the church awakening reporting into a helpful biography. The checks written on the apostle Paul. It's called Paul a man of grace and grit pioneer of the early church. Paul's contagious enthusiasm for Christ has shaped the way we gather and worship.

To this day, and his dramatic story continues to shape church culture to purchase a copy of Chuck's biography on Paul go to insight.org/insight for living were pleased to receive letters and phone calls from friends who affirm the value of Chuck's Bible teaching might be encouraged to hear this one that came from Pennsylvania. It said Chuck thank you for leading me for nearly 30 years. You make me smile often laugh even when I fell away from God.

It was your familiar voice and help me find my way back home.

Well, uplifting comments like this are made possible through the financial support of listeners like you and you can partner with us by getting us a call if you're listening in the United States, call 800-772-8888 to give a donation online today go to insight.org/donate my inviting you to listen when Chuck Swindoll talks about de-escalating the worship wars at church tomorrow on insight for living in the preceding message distinctives of a contagious turn was copyrighted in 2008 and 2010 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2010 by Charles R. Swindoll. All rights are reserved worldwide.

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