Our Priority
Pastor Ben Curfman
God's Family Picture: The Church Covenant • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 4 viewsThis series explains the importance of our Church Covenant.
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Last week we looked at the first part of our Church Covenant, and we learned that the first steps a person takes in that covenant is faith in Christ alone for their salvation, obedience to Christ in their baptism, and commitment to Christ in church membership.
“Having been led, as we believe, by the Spirit of God to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior and upon profession of our faith, having been baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, we do in the presence of God, angels, and this assembly most solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant with one another as one body in Christ.”
This week, we will look at our priority as baptized believers and church members. Our priority is the growth of God’s Kingdom.
“We also engage therefore by the aid of the Holy Spirit to walk together in Christian love to strive for the growth of this body of Christian maturity, purity, and spirituality; to sustain its worship, ordinances, discipline and doctrine; to contribute cheerfully and regularly to the ministry, the expenses of the church, the relief of the poor, and the spread of the Gospel throughout all nations.”
Romans 12:3–21
(35m)
We display our priority of Kingdom Growth in...
Our Concern
Our Concern
We also engage therefore by the aid of the Holy Spirit to walk together in Christian love...
For Help From The Spirit of God
For Help From The Spirit of God
“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.
The reason salvation is the first step to becoming a church member is because someone without the Holy Spirit cannot fulfill the church covenant.
For Love Toward the Family of God
For Love Toward the Family of God
For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.
We agree to the church covenant as members because we love each other.
(25m)
We display our priority of Kingdom Growth in...
Our Character
Our Character
We also engage therefore by the aid of the Holy Spirit to walk together in Christian love to strive for the growth of this body of Christian maturity, purity, and spirituality...
Maturity
Maturity
Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation. Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.
Purity
Purity
Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. “But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Spirituality
Spirituality
“Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. “So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. “But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. “When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. “But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. “So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
The commitment we make in the church covenant as members makes us mature, pure, and spiritual.
(15M)
We display our priority of Kingdom Growth in...
Our Commitment
Our Commitment
We also engage therefore by the aid of the Holy Spirit to walk together in Christian love to strive for the growth of this body of Christian maturity, purity, and spirituality; to sustain its worship, ordinances, discipline and doctrine...
To Worship
To Worship
Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
To Obedience
To Obedience
“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. “After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also. “In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. “He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.” Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, what then has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us and not to the world?” Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. “He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me. “These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you. “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.
To Holiness
To Holiness
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma. But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints; and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them; for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light. For this reason it says, “Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you.” Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.
To Doctrine
To Doctrine
If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, he is conceited and understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain.
I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
We display our priority of Kingdom Growth in...
Our Contribution
Our Contribution
We also engage therefore by the aid of the Holy Spirit to walk together in Christian love to strive for the growth of this body of Christian maturity, purity, and spirituality; to sustain its worship, ordinances, discipline and doctrine; to contribute cheerfully and regularly to the ministry, the expenses of the church, the relief of the poor, and the spread of the Gospel throughout all nations.
To Ministers
To Ministers
And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.
To Expenses
To Expenses
B.T. Roberts was appointed to the Albion Methodist Episcopal Church in 1855. He was later expelled from the denomination and formed the Free Methodist denomination, with the first Free Methodist Church being located across the street. Why was it called “Free” Methodist? Because the pews you are sitting on were rented to support the ministry of the church.
What was a financial commitment that represented a total commitment to the spread of the Gospel in Albion became a status symbol and an obstacle to the community hearing the Word of God. The problem wasn’t money, it was pride.
Why should some of my offering go to a building instead of more important things?
There are people in our church who came because we host Girl Scouts here.
There are people in our church who came because they could walk here.
There are people in our church who came because we met in a place that is safe, warm, and has food.
There are people in our church who came because they saw our building in the center of the village.
The part of your offering each week that goes to the expenses of our building is important because those people are important.
We invest in a building that will one day be destroyed by fire so that the people in our community won’t be.
To Needs
To Needs
Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I directed the churches of Galatia, so do you also. On the first day of every week each one of you is to put aside and save, as he may prosper, so that no collections be made when I come. When I arrive, whomever you may approve, I will send them with letters to carry your gift to Jerusalem; and if it is fitting for me to go also, they will go with me.
We follow Paul’s instructions to put aside an offering each week so that needs can be met. When disaster strikes someone in our church family, we need to be prepared to step up and not caught by surprise.
To Missions
To Missions
And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
The Adyghe, numbering 6,700 in the United States, are an Unengaged and Unreached people group with less than 2% of their world population being evangelical Christians. Currently the International Mission Board, one of the largest missions organizations in the world, does not have anyone who knows their language and culture who can start a church to reach them. The largest concentration of this people group is less than two hours’ drive from here in Syracuse. Part of your offering today will help train the missionaries who will reach these people for Christ in the future.
(5m)
QUESTIONS
Is your priority the growth of God’s Kingdom or something else?
Are you concerned about your relationship with the Holy Spirit and your church family?
Is your character mature, pure, and spiritual?
Are you showing commitment to the church’s worship, obedience, holiness, and doctrine?
Are you contributing to the church’s ministers, expenses, needs, and mission?