PEACE 2/5

April 26, 2009
Third Sunday of Easter

Equip Servant Leaders
Acts 3:11-20 and Romans 16:1-16

“Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.” – Romans 16:16.

My sermon outline:

• Recap of PEACE plan problems and solutions.

Spiritual emptiness – Promote Reconciliation.
Corrupt leadership – Equip Servant Leaders.
Extreme Poverty – Assist the Poor.
Disease – Care for the Sick.
Illiteracy – Educate the Next Generation.

• Some of these are obvious. But RW believes that the church is uniquely positioned to address these issues: with between 1 and 2 billion members worldwide (larger than China or India), the Church is the biggest network in the world. The Church is in every country and can be in every community, moreso than libraries or hospitals. The Church is lay-driven, and has the greatest potential for volunteerism. The Church is intimately present... birth, education, counseling, marriage, death... it has local credibility. The Church is 2000 years old, & will be there. We are part of this network.

• The PEACE plan is ordinary people empowered by God making a difference wherever they are. The PEACE plan is closely linked with discipleship: the Church teaching its members to do what Jesus did – to have the priorities Jesus had, as we studied in March.

• On Romans 16: Romans was written ca. 56, some 20ish years after the first Easter. Paul is the author, writing to the community of Christians in Rome (he has not yet been to Rome with the Word) a letter of encouragement and instruction... He hasn’t been to the church in Rome but he obviously knows some of its leaders. For us there’s always been a church in Rome, but Peter (1st Pope) not there yet either.
29 individuals named, & households. Unique list, men and women of various backgrounds, experiences, status. Presumably age.

Is Paul commending some, and invalidating others?
By and by this is what we know:

Church in Rome, birthed and nurtured by the hard and passionate work of many. Some open their homes, some support with finances or trade, some have taught with Paul around the countryside, some have spent time in prison with Paul.

When Paul gets to Rome he’ll find a functioning church there. Because of the testimony, leadership, willingness of these, the church thrived.

• Imagine the letter Paul might write to SCUMC...To the faithful... who might he mention? Who might he NOT mention? Would he mention you?

• Because of the testimony, leadership, willingness of these, the church thrived. A grassroots, organic, diaconal organization.

Grassroots: from the people not the establishment

Organic: living and natural (volunteer corn)

Diaconal: lay ministry helper

That’s why people protest or march...

That’s what US is looking for in Iraq: the grassroots organic diaconal leadership.... (hey, that spells “GOD”)

Rick Warren’s PEACE plan is training locals around the world to be leaders in their churches and communities, to locally address the Global Giants.

That’s what we’re looking for as we plan our own VBS: folks to step up and be supporters and fellow workers, servant leaders

• Jesus came to serve... to lay on the line, to model leadership.

• Hymn 593 Here I Am, Lord


- Pastor Kerry

This Sunday: 72 in worship.