SAMPLE SERMON OUTLINE AND NOTES FOR:

OFFERING CHRIST TODAY FOR TOMORROW

By

Dr. Mike Lowry
Executive Director for New Church Development and Transformation
Southwest Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church

Key Biblical Texts:

5-He established a decree in Jacob,
   and appointed a law in Israel,
which he commanded our ancestors
   to teach to their children;
6-that the next generation might know them,
   the children yet unborn,
and rise up and tell them to their children,
7-so that they should set their hope in God,
and not forget the works of God,
   but keep his commandments;
(Psalm 78:5-7)

1Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a member of the court of Herod the ruler, and Saul. 2While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off. 
(Acts 13:1-3)

        16Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” 
(Matthew 28:16-20)

Notation:  This sermon outline is constructed using all three texts.  The preacher might wish to consider a series of sermons using each text as the exegetical key each individual sermon and expanding the outlined points into a full sermon.

TITLE:          OFFERING CHRIST TODAY FOR TOMORROW

THEME:        There is a vital need to begin new churches offering Christ Today for Tomorrow.  At stake is the issue of whether our children and grandchildren will be Christian.

INTRODUCTION: 
            Retell as dramatically as you can the story of the founding of the church you are now serving.  Close with the statement:  “We are here worshipping God today because of the sacrifice and commitment of those earlier Christian pioneers.”

The Urgent Need

• We have the same urgent need today – people are hurting and lost; longing for a relationship with the Lord
• Our culture and nation is becoming increasingly less Christian
• The pain of injustice and the aguish of emptiness cry out for God’s presence and healing.
• The Wesleyan movement and UMC need to rediscover and reclaim our evangelistic passion; this is the call and claim of Christ upon us today.

The Call and Claim of Christ                                              Matthew 28:16-20

• The Risen Christ gives us a great commission, our marching order and purpose for being (this is not optional for the faithful)
• The imperative command is make disciples
• To people to obey the Lord’s commands and baptize
• The Lord promises to be with us always

[You may wish to use “The Story of C. C. McCabe:”  Over a hundred years ago a man named C.C. McCabe was riding out west to help start some more churches.  In fact McCabe was in charge of church extension for the Methodist Church.  ‘As C. C. McCabe was riding out on the train he picked up a newspaper.  As he started to read it, he opened it up to bold headlines that said, "Churches dying across America, the last will soon be dead.’  And he went on to read that Robert Ingersol the brilliant agnostic and very articulate spokesman had just addressed the Free Thinkers Association.  It the speech he said that churches were dying across America, that they would soon be dead, and that this country would be much better off.  C. C. McCabe was a kind of a feisty fighter.  He got off the train at the next station; went into the telegraph office and sent Robert Ingersol this telegram.
"Dear Robert:  All hail the power of Jesus' name.  We're building more that one new Methodist Church every day of the year and propose to make it soon two a day."  Signed C. C. McCabe.
Now the word got out about C. C. McCabe's telegram to Robert Ingersol and some Methodist's wrote a song.  It was sung in the camp meetings and the revivals and the brush arbor meetings in the little backwoods chapels and places; and it went like this:
            ‘The Infidel a motley band in counsel met and said that churches die throughout the land the last will soon be dead.  When suddenly a message came, it filled them with dismay.  All hail the power of Jesus name we're building two a day.
            We're building two a day dear Bob, we're building two a day.  All hail the power of Jesus name we're building two a day.’”
            We are not building two a day.  We are not even building one a day.  But we do propose together to build new churches and transform existing churches for God’s new day.   This is what it means to live our mission of offering Christ to all. ]

            One crucial element of faithfully offering Christ to all is to rediscover the Antioch strategy.

Rediscovering the Antioch Strategy                                    Acts 13:1-3

• They didn’t make excuses because of their size or other good works
• They worshiped and prayer for guidance from the Holy Spirit
• They set aside their best for the work and supported them
• They sent them off to carry the gospel to new people

• The Antioch Strategy was John Wesley’s strategy in founding the Methodist movement.  [Wesley writes at one point in 1781, “About a hundred and thirty of my fellow-labourers are continually employed in the same thing.  We all aim at one point, (as we did from the hour when we first engaged the work), not at profit, any more than ease, or pleasure, or the praise of men; but to spread true religion through London, Dublin, Edinburgh, and as we are able, through the three kingdoms.” ]
• The Antioch strategy brought your church into existence.
• Now it is our time to do the same for others in faithfulness to the call and claim of Christ.

[You might wish to share the 10 reasons for starting new churches or perhaps print those reasons in a your bulletin or share them in a your newsletter: 

• Biblical Faithfulness demands the starting of new churches. (Matthew 28:16-20; Acts 1:6-8; Acts 13:1-3, etc., etc.!!!!)
• To faithfully respond to Christ’s command to “go and make disciples.”  (Matthew 28:16-20)  
• So that the next generation will be Christian! 
• New churches reach new groups of people – new immigrants, those turned off from conventional church, those seeking a different style and form of worship, etc. 
• Seekers and explorers are often more attracted to starting on the ground floor as pioneers. 
• Men are more likely to be attracted to a new church start. 
• Reach people with the gospel in a new location. 
• Spread a faithful Wesleyan theological perspective of the Christian faith that combines evangelism (converting people to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ) and social holiness (the ministries of love, justice and mercy). 
• Existing churches are motivated to renewal efforts by the establishment of new churches in their community.  (See Steven C. Compton, Rekindling the Mainline: New Life Through New Churches, p. 39)
• Denominations as a whole are “renewed as the percentage of new churches in their total numbers of churches increase.” (See Steven C. Compton, Rekindling the Mainline: New Life Through New Churches, p. 39)]

That the Next Generation Might Know                              Psalm 78:5-7

• In faithfulness the Southwest West Texas Conference as voted to hold a capital campaign Offering Christ Today for Tomorrow to resource the starting of new churches.
• A part of this strategy is also helping transform existing congregations; It is not an either or but a both and strategy and choice.
• What is at stake is whether or not our children and grandchildren will be Christian.
• The Psalmist tells us:  God has established the “decree” (or “testimony” – witness) and law; a reference to the deliverance from slavery in Egypt, the 10 commandments and the Torah, the great divine teaching.
• The Lord commands us to teach our children the ways of the Lord.  Why?
• That “the next generation might know, the children yet unborn.”   To do what? 
• Rise up and tell them to their children”   Why?
• “So that they should set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments.”
• There is a double act of love:  First, there is God’s act of love in the deliverance, in the testimony and law, and in the mighty deeds (culminating for us in Christ’s redemption of us on the cross).  Second, there is our act of love in teaching and sharing “that the next generation might know”  
• “What is all this about?  It is about an act of love offering Christ to all; to our children, to generations yet unborn.  This is why churches do what you are doing today.  This is why new churches are started.  This is a basic foundational claim of Christ upon us all.  We are involved in something greater than ourselves.  We are here involved in the mighty acts of God.”
• Share that you have made a personal commitment to the campaign
• Challenge the church to a specific level of response through your budget and commitment process (i.e. Shepherds, Circuit Riders, Brothers and sisters of Barnabas, Society of Stephen, Lydia’s Legions, or Dorcas Circle; if needed share that this will be presented to the Finance Committee, Church Council or other appropriate body.)  and share that deadline for your churches response by May 1st.

What are we to do?

• Support the Offering Christ Today for Tomorrow campaign through your prayers.
• Support the Offering Christ Today for Tomorrow campaign through your budgeted commitment over a 3 to 5 year period
• Support the Offering Christ Today for Tomorrow campaign through reaching out to those who don’t know Christ and offering them a relationship with the living Lord and a relationship with His body, the church.

Close by reminding the congregation of how others reached out in a similar fashion to start your church (the opening illustration) and now it is your time to do the same in faithfulness and fruitfulness to the gospel of Christ.