Church Cooperation

Good morning everyone…How is everyone doing this morning? …you know, as often as I ask that question, or something similar to that, you would think that eventually you would all learn to respond with a little more enthusiasm. I mean…it’s ok to talk in church…well, as long as you are responding to me :) Anyway, I trust you are all doing well, or if you are not, then you are in the right place to be able to rely on God a little more in your life, Amen? Alright…with all that said we get to have our kids join their amazing teachers. We also want to welcome those of you that are joining us online as part of our extended spiritual family today. It is great to see you all here as we seek to grow closer to the Lord.

Now, I know that it is hot outside, but man it is nice and comfortable in here isn’t it. I mean, I feel like its comfortable enough to just sit here and chat for a bit, you know…Actually, today is gonna be a great day…Im really excited about what we are gonna talk about today, so let’s just jump right into it! You see the last few weeks we have been going through a series called, I Believe. Its called I Believe because we are looking at the doctrines of LRBC and trying to understand what and why we believe certain things. For instance, as a church, we believe that God is three unique persons, while being one God. That is the doctrine of the Trinity. We spent a little time talking through that together as a church. If you missed that then you can go back on the podcast and you can catch up on all of the older sermons in this or any other series that we have gone through over the years. For today though we are going to continue on this series while looking at yet another doctrine together. Now, I want us to remember why we are going through his series and I want us to all be on the same page so that there is not mis understandings. In order to do that, I gave us a definition of the word doctrine. Here it is...Doctrine is a set of guiding principles (stop and allow church to finish) that helps us navigate the twists and turns of life.

Does anyone remember why I love doctrine?…wait a moment…No, well, I love doctrine because if I know what I believe then I will know how to deal with the crazy stuff that happens each and every week in my life. Now, I may not have talked to you this week, but I can almost guarantee that you have had some twists and turns in your life this week…Actually, you know…not all of those twists and turns are bad either, are they. I mean, so often we think of twists and turns being bad, but what about the good like someone having a test come back saying they have no cancer this week? I mean that is great news…but it is also a twist from the normal day to day experience, right. You see, doctrine can help me navigate both the good and the bad twists that inevitably come up. Of course when we remember that, we realize that sometimes the questions we have about God are answered when we remember his goodness, right? Our key verse through this series has been all about being ready and able to answer those questions we may be asked about out faith. Remember that

1 Peter 3:15 ESV

but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,

Yeah, we are actually commanded to be ready to answer those questions…but it’s also just a really good idea to be able to answer these questions. You know, questions like, “Why are you the way you are?”, “How can you smile at a time like this?”, “Doesn’t it bother you that these bad things are going on?” These are the types of questions that you might experience…or even, “How in the word did you manage to stay safe during that storm…wow?” You see, both good and bad questions can be answered when we know what we believe, and why we believe it.

So, this week we are moving through our statement of faith and we are getting closer and closer to finishing up this series. This week we will be looking at

The Doctrine of Church Cooperation

Now I know what you thinking…that sounds made up, right. I mean, churches don’t cooperate with themselves, let alone with anyone else, right? Well, I am sad to tell you that you are only partially right. You see, there are churches that are out there, and I have been a part of some of them that do not cooperate with themselves, meaning there is almost always some sort of disunity going on within the church, and Im not talking about something small like, what color should the walls be painted…No, Im talking about the disunity that frequently comes from a church not being clear about what they believe, or potentially not really living by what they say they believe. You see, when a church doesn’t actually believe anything, then there will be constant disunity…because there is no central belief system. That is why it is so important to be constantly looking up towards God and keeping the Gospel central as we work together.

But thats not really what we are talking about this morning. This morning we are going to talk about what it looks like to work together with other churches? Is that something that is ok, or is that something that we need to be careful about doing? Well, that is why we actually have a statement about this very issue. We want to be able to know before we get involved in any potential harmful relationships what our guidelines actually are. So, here we go...

We believe that local churches can best promote the cause of Jesus Christ by cooperating with one another in denominational organization. Such an organization, whether a regional or district conference, exists and functions by the will of the churches. Cooperation in a conference is voluntary and may be terminated at any time. Churches may likewise cooperate with inter-denominational fellowships on a voluntary independent basis.

Ok, that is a pretty good statement right here, isn’t it. I mean you see we believe that cooperation is actually important and that we do have some guidelines to help us as we navigate different relationships. Now the first thing we have to realize is that the idea of Christian unity is found throughout the New Testament. Then of course we see throughout the letters that were written to various churches the idea of church unity and cooperation together for the Gospel played a pretty important role in Paul’s journeys throughout Asia as he was telling others about Jesus. Actually look at what Paul wrote to the church in Corinth.

1 Corinthians 16:1–3 (ESV)

Now concerning the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do. On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come. And when I arrive, I will send those whom you accredit by letter to carry your gift to Jerusalem.

Here Paul is asking for the churches of Galatia as well as Corinth to take up a collection to send back to Jerusalem because there was a famine that was effecting those in Jerusalem at a higher rate than it was effecting those in the smaller communities that Paul was asking to give. Then of course we see Paul’s teaching in

Ephesians 4:4–6 (ESV)

There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

Right here Paul is telling those in Ephesus that there is one body of Christ. You may remember that I taught a few weeks ago about the universal and the local church. I explained that if I talk about the Capital C Church that I am talking about the universal church, which consists of all believers of all time…That would definitely include believers in other countries, and other villages, wouldn’t it? So what Paul is talking about here actually applies to both the universal as well as the local church. Remember last week I mentioned that God has gifted every church with the people to be able to minister in every way that the church needs. That is because some are arms and some are eyes…Well, the same is true about churches. You see, not everyone will connect with the Gospel in the same type of church. So…we have different churches, and even different denominations, or network of churches today. Some of those networks actually have the same core beliefs and some would vary theologically. That’s ok…as long as the Gospel is the center of those churches then we can cooperate in Christian unity with those of various networks or denominations. I’ll actually tell you a story about the power of churches working together later this morning…just hang in there! (put photo teaser)

For now though, I actually think there are...

Four reasons churches should work together in Christian unity.

Now we’re gonna look at these individually and hopefully be encouraged this morning that it is not only ok, but it is good to work with others as we proclaim the Gospel. The first reason that I want to point to is pretty much a no brainer. I mean, if you don’t want to work together with another church for this, then I am going to challenge you on your pridefulness. So, what is the first reason...

The Great Commission:

Yeah, the great commission is a pretty good reason to work with other churches. You see, Jesus actually commanded his disciples to go and make more disciples of all nations, no cap. Remember that is in

Matthew 28:19–20 (ESV)

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

So if we are commanded to do this, there is no possible way we can do that on our own, right. We must partner with missionaries to go into the places that we can’t go. Then we must partner with churches to do things we can’t do. Remember last week we heard From Dave at ITEC and he talked about how he goes and trains locals in tribes and villages around the world in farming techniques so that they can go and share the Gospel with their neighbors. That is one type of church cooperation…joining together with other churches to help send missionaries like Dave and Kristin Hynes, and Brad and Rachel Wells into places that we can not go.

Another type of church cooperation is done through working together on local, or even global events. Just last week there were three churches that joined together to bless the community of Mount Morris. There was Families of Faith Church in Channahon, there was the Evangelical Free Church of Mount Morris, and there was Leaf River Baptist Church all working together to be able to encourage the community and have the opportunity to share the Gospel through a brand new school right there in Mount Morris.

You see, Partnering with other churches enables us to combine resources, skills, and gifts for a more impactful Gospel outreach. Imagine for a moment the opportunity that we have as a church to partner with these other churches to have a pretty big impact on Mount Morris. Imagine working with E-Free to be able to bring a sports program, not just to the school, but allow kids from town to participate in that. Listen, it’s easy to pull something like that off…All you have to do is be willing to be used by God. I even coached basketball for elementary kids, and folks listen…I ain’t no basketball player, ok…As a matter of fact, I was watching YouTube videos on how to coach basketball every week to try and look like I knew what I was doing…But I was willing…that is what I am asking of you all here this morning…be wiling to be used however God wants to use you.

The second reason churches should work together is for

Mutual Encouragement and Support:

So, that’s actually huge! When other churches join together it is so encouraging, not only the leadership of those churches, but for the members of those churches. Just this last April, and pretty much every April I attend a conference called the Small-Town’s Pastors Conference. This is a conference that is designed for pastors of churches in communities less that 5000 people. Now, I think that Leaf River at 450 people does qualify to be a small town. It is so encouraging to be able to connect with pastors that are not the big mega-church big city pastors that are dealing with a whole slew of other challenges than what a small town experiences. When I was in Lafayette though, I attended some larger city and larger church conferences and it was great to be able to learn about things that would work on that scale. That is why church cooperation is important, to be encouraged and supported by each other. Look at this passage in Acts and lets remember what it looked like to be at the beginning of the church...

Acts 2:42–47 (ESV)

And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

This is what the original church did…that is what happened…they shared what they had for the benefit of others. The same is, or can be true between churches. You see ‌Churches unite to offer mutual spiritual, emotional, and practical support.. This can include things like a joint prayer meeting, sharing resources, mentorship opportunities, and yes..even working together to reach the immediate community with the Gospel. It’s amazing what we can do when we are willing to work together. That leads us to the third reason for church cooperation.

Learning from Each Other:

Isn’t it a relief to admit that you don’t actually know everything? I know I have had times in my life where I truly believed I knew more than anyone else around me, and I would let you know that was true…now, man I am happy to say you all know far more than I do…The reality is though that we all have different strengths, and when we are able to serve in those strengths it just makes us all better. For instance, I am not going to play the drums because as much as I would like to think I could…I guarantee I would break the drums as well as your ears…Bryan on the other hand is gifted in that way. now, I happen to know that he would love to train someone else to take his drumsticks, so if thats you, please reach out…but that’s not me.

Here’s the deal though…every church, just like every Christian has different and unique strengths, perspectives, and experiences that can help other churches. By working together churches can learn from each others practices, traditions, and teachings, leading to growth and maturity within the larger body of Christ. However, this demands humility and a readiness to adapt and grow according to God's calling for the church.. The church network that we are a part of, Converge MidAmerica uses the tag line, “better together” for a reason…Look at

Proverbs 27:17 (ESV)

Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.

This is typically used in mens retreats, or sermons about being a man of God, or something to that effect…and that’s not bad, but it also applies to churches. This passage highlights the the idea that believers can actually interact and learn from each other. They can sharpen and refine each other. When different churches contribute their unique perspectives, they will challenge and inspire growth in others. Listen…when churches work together…They slay it! There is a group of Pastors in Ogle and Winnebago County that get together 3-4 times per year to challenge each other Biblically so that none of us grow stagnate in our studies…this is beneficial to all of our churches...

Now, there is one more reason churches should cooperate and thats...

Demonstrating love and unity to the world:

How does a few churches working together demonstrate love and unity to the world? Let me tell you a story about SugarFest in Lafayette, In. While I share this story Bryan is going to scroll through a few pictures to help us see what happen. You see, in 2016 the church Bethany and I were serving in wanted to do something for the community we were in. The problem is that, much like LRBC, the church was not exactly in the middle of town, which made walking to our facility a bit difficult. You see, we were in the middle of an industrial area and there weren’t really any homes in walking distance to the church. So, it was October and we wanted to finally serve this community that we just moved into as a church, but we weren’t sure how. Through a series of conversations we made a decision to go into a local community park and host an event. Of course we couldn’t do a traditional trunk or treat type of event because we can’t pull cars into the fields, so we needed to come up with another concept. What we decided to do is have groups of people create booths within the park. At that time we had 7 small groups at this church and so we asked for each small group to be responsible for a booth. This included a popup tent and they would decorate however they wanted to and they would pass out candy to the kids as they walked through the park. Well, that turned into each booth having games and actually having a friendly rivalry between the groups. When it came time for this event, we went to the park and set up and we were planning on about 100 people…maybe. Well, over 500 people showed up to this event. that was the beginning of something that would grow to be fairly large.

When it came time for Easter we had other churches reaching out to us asking if they could participate with us in this event we were going to put together. Of course we said YES! You see, the more people you have, the larger an event can be…So, we partnered together with 7 churches to bring this annual event at Easter for the next 3 years, until we moved here. Every year, this event got bigger and bigger, adding more and more as each church served into their strengths. We even had a church build a pallet maze for the kids to roam through and get prizes, because they had skilled carpenters and an abundance of pallets. There were various churches that would participate and bring their strengths to the event and grow the event all together. Let me tell you what happened we had well over 2000 people joining us at each one of these events…The community saw these churches of various denominations joining together and loving each other as we served the community. What that showed them is that churches are not in competition, but we are all on the same side. When there were people I would talk to and I thought they would get along well with another pastor, I would be excited to introduce them…Do you know what Jesus said about that very idea?

John 13:35 (ESV)

By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

When we join together in love and unity, then the community around us is able to see God through that unity. However, in order for that to take place…We must step aside and magnify Jesus above ourselves. don’t we? So are we able to do that today? Well actually I should ask, “Are you willing to do that today?” You know the same concepts that are said about churches working together is true about Christians working together within this church. I praise the Lord for the unity that God has provided and protected here at LRBC. However, there is a need for Christian cooperation right here in Leaf River/Mount Morris. We are building relationships with other churches to be able to, hopefully, provide a resource to the community around us. However, that resource will only happen if you are willing to come out and serve in some way. Think about Mount Morris Christian Academy and imagine what it would look like for you to join together with other churches to reach the region with the Gospel through a solid education. What would it look like for you to personally get involved with some aspect of this brand new ministry. Imagine what it would look like for you to help clean up the school building with the families that will be attending, or to serve alongside E-Free in Mount Morris by helping teach an adult education class there in that facility. Maybe you can coach basketball, or softball for a community league…maybe you can help organize that league…Whatever it is that you are capable of doing, are you willing to do it alongside Christians from other churches…or are you more comfortable staying inside LRBC? And it’s not just MMCA…think about other ways we can connect with the community by serving alongside other churches.

At LRBC we believe that we can serve along side other churches that have similar beliefs, even if we do not agree 100% of the time. I would love for you to join us on that journey as we reach, not just Leaf River…but Mount Morris as well. You see, by us all embracing this concept, all of the area churches can strengthen their impact on the community, advance the Gospel, and most importantly, we can give glory to God through all of this! So, this morning…will you join in together with other Christians and reach outside of yourself?

Let’s Pray