Be Full – “The Grateful Difference”

Today we wrap up “Be Full” – our annual celebration of generosity and of what happens when a congregation of people come together to make a difference “Across the Street and Around the World” – to help feed, clothe, house, educate and rescue from trafficking those who most need the love and assistance of their neighbors. We do that because the message we have about how Jesus offers a Full Life is best presented by both telling people about his love for them while also showing them that love tangibly.

Joe Connor, Elam Ministries (Iran) 

• Iran, of course, is always in the news, with stories about their culture of hatred toward Israel and the US, and about their support of groups who foment unrest and terrorism in the Middle East and beyond. But God is writing a different story inside Iran – one you won’t hear on the news.
• By most accounts, inside Iran is the fastest growing Christian church in the world. Lifelong Muslims are coming to faith there every day, even though owning and reading a Bible is illegal for Iranians. God is clearly at work in Iran in ways that that are miraculous, powerful and unique in this time.
• Most Iranians are very similar to us; the want to live comfortable, productive lives – raising a family, having a good job, going on vacations. Their religion (Islam) is all around them, so they grow up in a culture that exhorts them to be “good Muslims” by working hard to please God according to the tenets of Islam. They hear about those requirements their whole lives, but never hear that God loves them, or that his forgiveness and grace are available to them as a gift.
• When an Iranian Muslim encounters the gospel, it can be highly appealing, especially for women (whom Islam treats as second-class humans). If they are able to read the New Testament they find a God who loves them, wants to have a relationship with them, and who offers grace and forgiveness to them – regardless of their status in society or their ability to abide by Islam’s rigorous requirements. 
• “The gospel is the ultimate good news to people who’ve been told they’re not good enough their whole lives. If you’ve been thirsty your entire life and you take a drink from the truth of the gospel found in the New Testament, it changes you – and that’s what happening in Iran every day.”
• The explosion of the Iranian church (from 4-5,000 believers in 2003 to over a million today) is clearly a “God story” in which Jesus has repeatedly and miraculously worked – appearing in the lives of thousands of people who were seeking the truth. But that “God story” was supported and perhaps even precipitated by the faithful acts of simple obedience of hundreds of believers whom Jesus called to participate in his work – those who translated the Bible, got it into Iran and risked everything to distribute it, as well as those who prayed for and gave generously to support that work.
• “I want you to know that the same active, amazing Jesus who is alive and revealing himself in Iran is alive and can reveal himself on Cape Cod. We might not be going through persecution or waking up every morning to illicitly deliver Bibles to strangers, but it’s the same Jesus that is working there who wants to work here through the faithful acts of obedience by his Church.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE

These passages may provide additional insights related to the subject of this week’s message. All verses are NLT unless otherwise noted.

Psalms 77:13-15; Matthew 5:14-16; Matthew 18:19-20; 1 Timothy 6:17-19; James 1:22-25; 1 Peter 3:13-16

Video of the Week: Visual Commentary: True Wealth and Generosity by the Bible Project

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION

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1. Our church supports partners who are caring for people “across the street and around the world.” Which of those types of partnerships (local or global) excite you most?  Explain your answer. 

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2. In our local partnerships, we as a church often support partners who aren’t specifically “Christian” organizations (like the Falmouth Service Center).  Do you think those (non-Christian) partnerships still support our mission to “Help people discover a full life with God”?  Why or why not?  

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3. Joe Connor laid out a beautiful rationale for the appeal of the gospel to those who live under the strict tenets of Islam. Based on that rationale, would you say that Muslims around the world could be easily led to Christ if they could just hear the gospel presented to them truthfully?  Explain your answer.  

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4. Read 1 Timothy 6:17-19.  Paul makes the connection here between being “rich in good works and generous to those in need” with experiencing “true life.” How, as you see it, does giving away our time, talent and treasure to others lead to “true life” for followers of Jesus?

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5. Joe repeatedly mentioned “faithful acts of simple obedience” as the catalyst that God has used to bring about the exponential growth of his church in Iran. What’s your understanding of what that “simple obedience” looks like for us – and how it might (according to Joe) pave the way for an “explosion” of new believers here like what’s happening in Iran?

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6. What’s one takeaway from this week’s message for you – something you will think about differently, perhaps, or maybe something you’ve been inspired to do because of what you heard about the Iranian church and what God is doing there?

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