The Phil Files

Some folks thought it sounded crazy. Some folks thought it sounded crazy cool. A number of folks gave to the fund anonymously to help make sure it could happen. 85 folks left church with more money than they came with and they also left with a mission to share that money in ways that change people’s lives in the name of Jesus.

On November 23, Southern Hills members who attended Refresh had the opportunity to participate in a Reverse Offering.  Eighty-five envelopes containing a total of $2,500 (all of which had been given by anonymous benefactors for the purpose of the Reverse Offering) were handed out to volunteers. They gave their name and email and promised to share how they used the money to bless others. Every person I’ve heard from took the task very seriously, looking at people in a very different way and prayerfully going about finding the right person in answer to prayer. One of the exciting things about this is that we have heard from people from all sorts of age groups who picked up one of the 85 envelopes to help. Generosity and concern know no generational limitations in the Lord’s family.

Read some of the stories about the reverse offering.

Like most churches, our finances have been extremely tight as the economy issues have settled in, so there was some wondering about how smart it would be to give money to folks to give money to the needs they saw in our community. However, the stories of how this has impacted both giver and receiver, and the anticipated stories we believe we will be able to tell about how it has impacted our church family, are incredible.

Paul knew a statement Jesus made that wasn’t recorded in one of the four Gospels. He shared this statement with men he was seeing for the last time. He was close to them and was pointing them to God’s way of leading His people:

In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35 TNIV).

So maybe we shouldn’t call it a “reverse offering,” maybe we should call it a “blessed offering” for our church and those who participated.

As Paul said as he wrapped up his instructions about giving to the Corinthians, “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15)

In my Heartlight.org article this week, I challenge us to read Colossians 1:27-29 and Matthew 28:18-20 and write out our own personal mission statement. I encourage you to read the article and these Scriptures.

I’d especially love for you to share your own life’s mission statement based on the Great Commission with the rest of us in the response section below!

Last Updated: 8.8.08

For Sunday 9.07.08

DAYBREAK

We would use the Rob drama piece possibly, worked in with the Ralph Martin Quote (see digging deeper below). In addition, we would cover the first two teaching threads below, leaving the final one to be the focus at SUNDOWN. That means communion would focus on the persecuted church and would share several of the same pieces in common with REFRESH. The communion devotional leader would be prepped to have this focus.

My sermon would be very similar to the Sermon Kernel at the bottom of this page.

REFRESH

Rob Marcelain Scripture piece done dramatically with the narrator injecting in the quotes from Ralp Martin. This and communion and crucial pieces if the Time in the Word is to be 7 minutes!

Communion focus on the persecuted church and our solidarity with those hundreds of thousands being persecuted for the cause of Christ. The short article and Gary’s email mentioned below would be shared and we would need to find a way to do communion and prompt prayer for specific areas of persecution. The logistics of this need to be ironed out. This might be good to be last or very early and use to set our focus or finish our focus of the assembly.

Possible video related to the this theme, either on the Persecuted Church or something related.

Time in the Word would be focused on the base kernel of Phil’s outline below.

SUNDOWN

Focus for this service is on thread #3, God’s message about Jesus cannot be chained. The worship service would end on specific mission areas to pray for with cards to take home and be prayer reminders. The emphasis would be on the triumph of the Gospel over every barrier using Paul’s conversion of those in the Praetorian guard and themes from the book of Acts for the message.

Digging Deeper (Focus Passages, Core Teaching Threads, Ideas, Sermon Kernel)

Focus Passages: (Col. 1:1-2, 13-14, 24-29; 4:2-6, 18; cf. Eph. 6:10-20, 18-20; Phili. 1:12-14, 19-21; 4:21-23; 2 Cor. 10:3-5; 11:23-27)

Paul was behind enemy lines in his work of sharing the good news of Jesus and starting communities of believers in places that were hostile to God’s values and to faith. Paul suffered for what he did, but he was sold out because he was called by God to this ministry. That being said, he was teaching the principle of “subversive goodness” to these new followers of Jesus and asking for them to pray for him as he lived that principle while chained to a Roman soldier. This is powerful stuff, and a call to our slumbering folks who are willfully ignorant of their suffering family throughout the world and who are not willing to risk for their faith. But this is also exciting and challenging, because it is a call to real faith that takes risks and lives boldly.

Core Teaching Threads

1. We are at war with forces we can’t see, that use places of power that we can see. Our goal is not necessarily to topple these structures because Satan will build more. But our focus is on being God’s Kingdom in the face of the war! Paul’s sense of mission (1:1, 24-29) should inspire our sense of mission (1:2; 42-6). As agents of “subversive goodness” or using the language of MSG, we are on “special assignment” (Col. 1:1).
2. When we take the Supper, we do it with all those who are believers who gather at the Table around the world. We can use this time to pray for them and their proclamation of the good news of Jesus and their courage as they face persecution and opposition (Col 4:2-4; Eph 6:19-20).
3. God’s Message of Jesus cannot be chained. Even though Paul could be held hostage and chained to a Roman soldier under house arrest, the message of Jesus was empowered and found places and people that it could not have reached without opposition and persecution (Col 1:24-29; Phil 1:12-14; 2 Tim 2:8-13).

Ideas

The Lord’s Supper remembering the persecuted church

Gary’s letter of warning about traveling to China: Stolen computer and martyred house church leaders!
Testimony about Bible League person in China

Rob Marcelain — Dramatic Reading Piece

*A: Narrator

“Paul now takes the stylus from the hand of the scribe who … has been wielding it, and he appends his own signature. It is a mark of authenticity and a final appeal to heed his teaching.”

Rob: Philemon 1:1a; Ephesians 6:18-20;

*B: Narrator
“The recall of his chains is no piece of sentiment and dramatics. Paul holds up his manacled wrists to impress the readers with his authority as a suffering apostle. Not pathos but authority is the sign he points to by his chains …”

Rob: Philippians 1:12-14, 19-21;

*C: Narrator
“Yet the last word is spoken with tender tones of grace, with which the epistle opened and by which the church at Colossae – or wherever, in an all ages – lives.”

Rob: Philippians 4:21-23; Col. 4:18a; Eph. 6:30b

* Ralph P. Martin, Interpretation Commentary, Ephesians, Colossians and Philemon

Possible Video from The Persecuted Church and links on our site to read more would be made available.

A powerful image to think about here involves servicemen returning to the war zone or coming home to families: how gripping and emotional this is. We have hundreds of thousands of brothers in sisters in even more vulnerable and dangerous positions sharing Jesus! What can we do to support them like we support our guys from Dyess through Bridges?

Sermon Kernel

[Tim, Army Ranger behind enemy lines to missionary in the heart of the Amazon]

Sharing the good news of Jesus can be brutal, but Paul knew all about that:
a. Refer to Rob’s piece
b. Refer to 2 Cor 11:23 (maybe use a slide to list all he had gone through)

But Paul was not trying to be heroic, just faithful to his call … and he knew what that might mean:
a. Col 1:1 MSG cf. Acts 28:30-31
b. Paul’s call in Acts 9, 22, 26 (not included at REFRESH – just referred to)
c. 1 Tim 4:12?

You see, Paul knew he was at war: not with people, but the powers behind them
a. Eph 6:10-12 (glancing reference since used recently)
b. 2 Cor 10:3-5 powerful passage

He wants us to know that we are on a “spiritual assignment” as well Col 1:2
a. His task 1:24-29
b. Our task 4:2-6 [Heartlight's part in getting Christians released in Cambodia]