Perry’s Scope: Christian sermons, lessons, and resources for teachers

A. W. Tozer, in The Pursuit of God, made a significant point. If 100 pianos are all tuned to the same tuning fork, they are automatically tuned to one another. They are tuned — not to each other — but to another standard to which each one must individually bow.

The same is true of 100 worshipers. When each worshiper is in tune with Jesus the group is closer to one another than they would be if they took their eyes off of Jesus and looked for ways to develop unity through fellowship. Taking our eyes off of Jesus is never a beneficial thing.

Each Christian has a place in the body. Each Christian has been given spiritual gifts to unite and build up the body. All of this comes through Jesus. When we keep our focus on him we function as a harmonious body.

Keep The Light Burning!

Perry Greene

I love stories about Sam Walton. I appreciate his humility in the sight of his enormous wealth. In the mid-90’s he was named one of the richest men in America. However, you would never have realized that he was wealthy unless you knew who he was. He drove an old pickup truck — just like “real people.”

Once someone asked him why he did not drive a Rolls Royce. He replied, “Where would I put my dogs?” His success came in part because he connected to the common man.

Think about Jesus coming to the world. Unless people knew him, they would not have been able to tell who he was just by looking. However, his goal was to connect with the common man.

This is why the Lord of the Universe came as a baby in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. This is why the King of Kings lived a no frills life as a carpenter and a rabbi.

He did not do it for fame. He did not do it for money. He did it to regain what was lost – a wonder-filled relationship with us.

Keep The Light Burning!

Perry Greene

Here is an interesting observation about volunteers.

People serve:

1. Because they were asked;

2. Because it fits with their sense of mission; 

3. Because they like a challenge;

4. Because it helps them feel connected to God’s work;

5. NOT because of material rewards;

6. NOT to meet people!

The above list was compiled by Marilyn Nelson, Baptist Theological Seminary, Richmond, VA.

Isn’t it interesting that people serve out of high aspirations? It is also interesting that many people wait to be asked before volunteering their time. Maybe, when we are struggling to find volunteers for our ministries, it is a simple as what James said — “You have not because you ask not.” That applies to prayer AND finding servants for ministry.

Perry Greene

A penthouse sits on the very top of a building. It rests on all the stories below it. The point of so many sermons and bible class lessons rests on the stories that support them.

When I first began preaching, I rarely used stories. Most of my sermons were packed with scriptures. Everything I said was supported by a biblical text. Over time I began to hear more “successful” speakers than I and noticed a common characteristic of story-telling.

I started using stories, illustrations, quotes, etc. in my lessons. In my opinion, it improved my impact. I read that stories were like the raisins in the oatmeal. People may not always remember my sermon or class, but they tend to remember the point – based on the stories along with the text.

It occurs to me that we really want to imitate Jesus in our teaching. His primary method of teaching was the story. We generally call his stories “parables.” When Jesus spoke these parables, they were not scripture.  They did not become scripture until the Bible was canonized. Jesus could have just quoted scripture to people (and some times he did) or given sermons like we would present. He chose to emphasize story to his hearers.

I understand that the rabbis of Jesus’ day intentionally taught their disciples in order to make changes in their lives. They were not giving them information, they were making transformation. We think that if we just fill people with enough information it will be sufficient.

Jesus used his stories to illustrate biblical truth. For instance, the parable of the sower illustrates the power of God’s word. He could have quoted Psalm 119 and declared its power, but he chose a story. He could have quoted Zechariah and the fact that we do not despise the day of small beginnings. Ins tead, he chose to tell us about a mustard seed. On and on we could go.

There are many resources available for good stories. Take the time to read the newspaper, watch the news, read contemporary books, subscribe to on-line sites that are filled with stories and illustrations. Take the time to appropriately add these to your lessons. You will make a bigger impact and your hearers will remember.

Perry Greene

Our life journey diverges into three streams. We are either CONFORMED-REFORMED-OR-TRANSFORMED. From time to time we live in the Conform level. This is status quo. This is “don’t rock the boat.” 

We can move up a notch into the REFORM level and experience changes. Israel lived through new direction during the exodus from Egypt. It was no longer status quo, the nation was experiencing change from slavery in Egypt to freedom in the wilderness and eventually the land of promise. 

They became a people of new identity. They were no longer slaves but free by the power of Yahweh! They became a people with new ambition. Their lives were to honor the God of heaven and draw all nations of the world to him. In his name they were to conquer the sinful inhabitants of Canaan. 

We have a similar experience in Christ. We leave the level of conformity to the world and march into a new world in Christ. We are no longer enslaved to sin and its destructive power. We are free by his power! 

The commands, “Repent and be baptized,” are reminders of our new direction. We have new things in mind. We are no longer satisfied with status quo we move to bigger and better. 

Our new direction also involves conquest. We engage in a spiritual warfare with eternal consequences. WE can make a difference in the lives of people in this world. All nations can know God because of a committed group of his followers. Imagine what can be!

Keep The Light Burning!

Perry Greene

American churches are enamored with numbers. More is always better. As long as our count equals or exceeds the previous one, we are “successful.”

It is true that Luke records some numbers in the book of Acts. That seems to be something that a Physician/Historian would do. Certain numbers, like weight and temperature, can tell us things about the health of a patient (or a church body).

Think about the flipside. David took a census in Israel after he was told not to. He was punished for his disobedience. A danger was that the nation could have looked at their own strength in numbers instead of looking to God. It was not the best thing.

What if (I always like to think in terms of what could be) we stopped counting attendance? Would we stop feeling so secure in our numbers? Would we shift our attention to people? Would we check on absentees? Would we be better motivated to fill empty seats with new people? Would our source of security be our God?

How large was the church in Corinth? Ephesus? Philippi? Jesus gave some criticisms regarding the “Seven Churches of Asia” (which, by the way are no longer with us). Not once did he criticize them for low numbers — there are bigger issues.

My challenge is for us to see past the numbers. See the people. Look to our God. This is not just about, “How many?” it is about, “Who?”

Keep The Light Burning!

Perry Greene (greene.perry@gmail.com)

I bought a bag of oranges a few weeks ago, while Christmas shopping. That does not sound like a big deal, does it? Actually, it is not — I can pretty much buy a bag of oranges any time I wish. It was, however, Christmas time and I had a flashback to my youth. Every year I got an apple and an orange for Christmas, along with some assorted nuts.

The reason I got the fruit at Christmas was because my parents always got apples and oranges for Christmas when they were young. They grew up in a much less affluent time. Fresh fruit was a huge treat for them.

When my parents bought gifts for their kids, they included apples and oranges because it brought back happy memories of special treats. So, when I saw the oranges, I suddenly had a craving for the “old days” even though, fresh fruit is prevalent and not quite the treat of long ago.

We can do similar things in the church. Do we ever look back to the “good ol’ days” with fond memories? Don’t we want to recreate those things because those memories make us happy and secure today? Maybe those things originally had a particular purpose. Maybe “two songs and a prayer” gave us a sense of “order out of chaos.” Maybe the way we conducted a Bible Class was effective. Maybe a Visitation Program was fruitful.

One of the challenges about church work is finding successful methods in every generation without compromising the integrity of the gospel. There are lines we do not cross. There are truths we are to always uphold. But, “times are a-changin’.”

There is nothing wrong with my buying a bag of oranges for Christmas. There is nothing wrong with many of the things we have done in the past. Our challenge is to be able to be more efficient and effective in our methods of reaching and serving people — without compromising the gospel.

David had a group of men from Issachar who had, “understanding of the times” according to 1 Chronicles 12.32. What are the modern times teaching us? What methods can we use today to share the good news to people who hunger for it?

Your Bible Class may want to explore new ideas. Your Small Group may be a new idea in the making. What worked in the past may not work today. The souls of people matter too much to neglect the times and what is effective today.

Keep The Light Burning!

Perry Greene (perry.greene@southyukon.org)

Sometime ago, I read two surveys which give us an indication of the role of friendship in Americans’ lives. The first poll asked Americans to name the top two or three things for which they are most thankful. Family took the top spot at 61%. Others included Health (50%); Job (21%); all the way down to Friends (8%).

The second survey asked Americans to identify what they most wanted out of life. An overwhelming 75% indicated, “Having close, personal relationships.” Apparently, we want friends but we often fail to express our gratitude for them. Maybe expressing an appreciation for the friends we have will enhance our friendships and the making of friends.

When people come to our Groups and Classes, one of the things they are looking for is friendship. They may like the teacher and the topic of study, but they are there to make friends and find a place to belong.

Fellowship opportunities are important to the building up and maintaining of a Class or Small Group.  Josh Hunt encourages monthly fellowships in which we invite every member and every prospective member to attend. If we can get them to the party, they will come to class.

Take time for friendship-building opportunities.

Keep The Light Burning!

Perry Greene (perry.greene@southyukon.org)

We know that Adult Bible Classes are more than teaching a good lesson each week. There are many factors which contribute to the success of a class. The following are based on material from Towns’ Sunday School Encyclopedia by Elmer Towns (Mr. Sunday School).  To build an Adult Clas . . . .

1. The teacher must give the class a high spiritual priority.
2. Use the same room each week.
3. Get the members to decorate the room.
4. Conduct regular class prayer meetings.
5. Serve the Lord as a class.
6. Give the class a distinctive name.
7. Select a class logo.
8. Select a class motto.
9. Create a distinctive letterhead.
10. Distribute a class newspaper or newsletter.
11. Select class leaders and workers.
12. Balance evangelism and education.
13. Keep members tied to the worship services.
14. Use visual aids (overhead projectors, power point, etc.).
15. Provide refreshments.
16. Focus on the needs of class members.
17. Greet arriving class members and guests.
18. Use name tags.
19. Set goals for new visitors.
20. Be friendly!

Keep The Light Burning! Perry Greene

It has already started – even before Thanksgiving. The Christmas season is in the air.  This IS a special time of year! We hear the music everywhere we go. We rush to buy those special gifts for our special people. All the while we remember in the back of our minds the coming of the special baby, born of a virgin so many years ago.

Do you remember his special mission? That is, why did he come at all? The angel told Joseph that the purpose of his coming was to “save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1.21).

I have a riddle for you. What is over 750,000 miles long, reaches around the earth thirty times; and grows twenty miles longer every day?

Do you give up? It is the line of people on the earth who are without Christ.

As a Teacher or Small Group Leader, you have a special place in the mission of Christ. You have a hand in decreasing the line of the lost. You also have a hand at building up the lives of those in Christ. You have a unique role in reaching OUT and reaching IN while you encourage people to reach UP.

During this season and every season, keep the mission of Christ before you. Remember that you play a vital role in helping him fulfill it.

Keep The Light Burning!

Perry Greene