Saved People Serve People 4
Notes
Transcript
Text: I Peter 4:7-10
Consider the end of this chapter.
For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.
1 Peter 4:17-19
It is a reminder to us that the church matters. God cares about the conditions of the church. He cares about he action of the church.
There is a conclusion that all of us will reach and we need to be certain we are looking at this with the reality that Christ is.
It is hard for us to believe that good people should suffer.
It has been said, how can God let bad things happen to good people. When really what we should asked is How can God let good things happen to bad people.
The people of Peters day suffered the loss of all their worldly good because of the name of Jesus. They were innocent they had only made the crime of claiming the name of Jesus.
Except we know that isn't true. When was the last time the only sin you committed against God was doing good.
My motivation are good.
My intentions were good
My attitude was good.
None of these come from the innocent heart.
We need cleansed because we carry the mark of Sin. (17)
For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
The judgment of sin - At Calvary.
We have seen the ultimate destruction of sin. It bore its destruction on our Savior. We have seen the result of our decision or our rebellions towards God.
This means that we will naturally view sin differently.
Satan says to you, “Let us negotiate.” But there are some things that cannot be negotiable. We cannot compromise the church with the world. Christ and His church deserve our very best and utmost loyalty.
The judgment of sin - A Cleansing.
When Scripture deals with the judgment it is a declaration about sin. We must be the people that identify sin and hate it. We are to be people that condemn sin. It must start with us. When we see the danger that sin poses to our families, then we do not wish to remain in it. We want to expunge it from our lives.
God will do a continual work and we should be those that rejoice in His continual work.
The judgment of sin - The Christian
Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?
Many people claim to repent of sin, but they do not forsake it. That is like letting go of the cobra’s head but not its tail.
The Lost are in an exceedingly bad predicament. (18)
And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?
If you and I have the church to be drawn to holiness then we should feel even more regret for what is missing in the lives of those outside the church.
It makes us discuss, How do you view the church.
It the church a place of good thoughts and sentiment
Is the church a place to meet with friends?
Is the church the wisdom of God to work his people towards Christlikeness.
Then all must prioritize preservation of lifestyle. (19)
Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.
Christianity is about the preservation of the soul. We have trade with the American culture the preservation of the American way of living for that which actually brings true and lasting joy.
Christianity is not about adding Jesus to the collection of other great things you have going on. It is about inducing righteousness through the constant judgment of sin in our lives.
Intro: When a person receives Christ we immediately begin instructing them by the word of God we include them into the family but then we want to involve them in the ministries of this church.
III. Unamuno, the Spanish philosopher, tells about the Roman aqueduct at Segovia, in his native Spain. It was built in 109 A.D. For eighteen hundred years, it carried cool water from the mountains to the hot and thirsty city. Nearly sixty generations of men drank from its flow. Then came another generation, a recent one, who said,
"This aqueduct is so great a marvel that it ought to be preserved for our children, as a museum piece. We shall relieve it of its centuries-long labor."
They did; they laid modern iron pipes. They gave the ancient bricks and mortar a reverent rest. And the aqueduct began to fall apart. The sun beating on the dry mortar caused it to crumble. The bricks and stone sagged and threatened to fall. What ages of service could not destroy idleness disintegrated.
Resource, Sept./ Oct., 1992, p. 4.
Years ago, the Salvation Army was holding an international convention and their founder, Gen. William Booth, could not attend because of physical weakness. He cabled his convention message to them. It was one word: "OTHERS."
Trans:
Reality-Each person has a Place in the Body.
This text is highlighting the service of the Christian.
I am convinced that God wants each and every Christian to be involved in some form of service.
"Every member is a minister."
"Every saint is a servant"
“Saved People; Serve People”
Why aren't all Christians involved.
1. They don't know that it is a priority.
2. They don't care that it is a priority.
3. They don't follow instructions.
4. They are in the wrong ministry.
We must get rid of this concept that we have pastors to do the soulwinning. We can't look at the staff as the "paid soulwinners". A pastor
We shouldn't get rid of terms like justification and atonement but help define the terms.
I call it "pursuing the Why". I do a lot of things that many Christians don't it is not that I am better but I have a desire to show why I do something which will give them the ammo to follow.
Application: A.
Reality-Each person can be Equipped Saints.
It is vital that when a new Christian comes to know the Lord that he or she grows to the point that they are being used by God. But at the same time there is a servants heart, philosophy, and application that must be taught to this individual.
That is where our handbooks for ministry come in. These are in place so that the department heads can teach and train the saint how to operate inside their ministry. Training seminars and in house training.
B. One real tragedy is that in many churches is simply that people are placed into ministry without any proving, training, or equipping process.
That is why we don't just take some guy that has been in the church 6 weeks and put him in the children's ministry because their has to be a proving process. "Lay hands suddenly on no man" (I Tim 5:22)
If I had a brand new million dollar jet you would have to prove to me that you knew how to fly that thing. Before you were in the cock pit. We have the living body of Christ and there is nothing more important than that. should be a soul winner but frankly my job is to train others to take on this task.
Illustration: If your eye didn't work it really wouldn't be good for anything but looks. That is the way a lot of Christians are. The aren't good for anything but making the Sunday Count go up.
Reality-Each person can be Doctrinally pure and care for souls.
The pastor and leaders must remain doctrinally distinctive and the direction of the church.
Everyone involved in the church should understand our stance and defend it.
Strive to be sensitive to the changing culture. (I did not say sway with them we will never inspire people to have a heart for God using the worlds methods.) Illustration: I believe that we can stay doctrinally sound and at the same time be sensitive to the culture. For example our city has thousands of addicts I will someday lead our church to house a recovery counseling program. We have thousands of children that are basically being raised by television and would be allowed to come if we would pick them up I am going to lead our church to have a bus ministry. Why because we must be sensitive to their needs.
Ill. Whatever is done for God, without respect of its comparative character as related to other acts, is service, and only that is service. Service is, comprehensively speaking, doing the will of God. He is the object. All is for Him, for His sake, as unto the Lord, not as unto man. Hence, even the humblest act of humblest disciple acquires a certain divine quality by its being done with reference to Him.
The supreme test of service is this: 'For whom am I doing this?' Much that we call service to Christ is not such at all....If we are doing this for Christ, we shall not care for human reward or even recognition. Our work must again be tested by three propositions: Is it work from God, as given us to do from Him; for God, as finding in Him its secret of power; and with God, as only a part of His work in which we engage as co-workers with Him."
A.T. Pierson wrote, The Truth.
C. We must prayerfully strive to discover the needs of
the city and endeavor to meet them. Not change the
message but to show them the need for the message.