Authentic Worship | 1 Thessalonians 5:17-28 | Pastor Jose Brevil

Three weeks we have been looking at life in the local church life in the local church. If you don't have a message no it if you raise your hand brother. Chris will get one to you. But we going to finish our message from last week saying those from last week. So we're going to finish it and Atlanta play in the morning. So life in the local church. We saw that life in the local church another for church to arrive. We saw that there were three Essentials 3 Essentials another for the local church to thrive. So it's a remind ourselves. Let's go ahead and read the text from verse 12 228 as we already looked at verse 12 to 16 in the last couple weeks. And today we're going to end this three-part series and also ending the book that we've been studying and just take it from there. So let's read the full text. So for those of you who have not been here all so, you know exactly where we are coming from so 1st Thessalonians 5 verse 12 228 Let's meet up with me. We asked you Brothers to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you and to a steam them very highly in love because of their work be at peace among yourselves and we urge you Brothers admonish the idle, encourage the faint-hearted help the weak be patient with them all. Speed up. No one repays anyone evil for evil but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone Rejoice always pray without ceasing give thanks in all circumstances for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything hold fast to wide is good at stand from every form of evil now may the God of Peace himself signify you completely and may your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will calls you is faithful. He will surely do it. Brothers pray for us greet all the brothers with a holy kiss. I put you under oath before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you father me you seal your words into our hearts. So we may not sin against you the book of 1st. Thessalonians is a book of love how to love one another how to learn to love one another as fellow Believers and the Book of 1st Thessalonians is a book of Faith about Julie having our faith rooted in Christ, and it's also a book of hope we're as Believers regardless of what we face in life. We should never live in the spare never and never again. Whatever we face in life. We going to face it head-on because of our faith and trust in Christ knowing that whatever we face in life God is with us and we need to learn to give texting everything that we Face even when we don't like it because we know as Believers our steps are ordered by God and ultimately you whatever we face in this life.

It's temporary because our home is in heaven. Our home is not here a man. Alright, so let's go to today's message. How can we Thrive as a local church family the three Essentials as we've already seen his spiritual leadership God ordained in the church there needs to be leaders. God ordains that for us there needs to be partnership. God doesn't want just Spectators in the church, but God wants people will get that involve people who are committed people who are part of the family, but not just a spectator. You know, the Christian life is not a spectator sport. You have to participate you have to be active. You have to be committed. You have to get involved in helping to live out the Great Commission and then lastly is authentic worship. We have to worship God truly from our heart which is our topic this morning. So to recap spiritual leadership. We saw in verse 12 and 13 where it says that we need to follow our leaders those War Among Us a leader among you but also they are over you and God ask us that spiritual leadership is important and it says that church leadership is ordained as a resort in Ephesians chapter 5 God give them to the apostles to be teachers to be Shepherd's God also determined the office and qualifications in 1st Timothy. God tells us who can be pastors. They have to be qualified according to the scriptures. Those of you were not here. You can refer back to those Stacks that you can read and look at the qualifications for church leaders. The key principle, is that a church leader needs to be above reproach and that when people accuse you of things that you come out blameless and that you are a broken man. That doesn't mean that you are perfect. David was not a perfect man, but God called David a man after his own heart because David know how to be broken and how to go before God and not only just confessed his sin but also for shaking and says his sin and following after God so that's what God calls us. Not only God establish leadership God determines. Well, we can be leaders, but I'll get also determines how one should lead and that we see in 1st Peter chapter 5 verse 1 through 5 got their leaders. They need to lead as they are lead as they are following after him. So the leader must also be a follower and God calls us the way that you leave you lead with love and there were four things for responsibilities for church members that God called us. God called us that for our leaders. We need to do four things. Number one. We need to accept our leaders and then we need to respect our leaders As we soar in 1st Thessalonians 5 verse 12 in verse 12 as we already read it. It says reacts you Brothers to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and I I miss you. So God calls us to respect those who labor and labouring means that you labor in the word a steadying. They getting prepared and to teach you God's word because as you will see in Hebrews, it tells us that they have that responsibility to care and watch over for you. And also it says that you need to obey your leaders. So as your leaders are following after Christ, what should be your job? You need to follow them as they are following Christ then we also remember in in 1st Thessalonians chapter 2 verse 12 and 13 where it says that we should not take it as our word, but you need to see that the words are the word of God. Why I share every scripture with you as we talked so that you know, it's not my opinion. And when is my opinion I tell you very clearly it's my opinion. So we need to follow our leaders as they follow Christ. That's not a big warning during the Hebrews 13:17. Denver's very really scares me and says obey your leaders and submit to them for they are keeping watch over your souls the big responsibility as those we will have to give an account. So one day I need to stand before God and tell God that I have told you the full Council of God, that means I have to touch you the word of God from Genesis to Revelation. And then when God says that it God, there's not one thing that I have not talked to your people everybody that has come here. I have to do it if they don't know it just because it didn't show up. And at that point I'm not responsible because I did my part I showed up and I share the word. So that's the responsibility very seriously when I come and stand before you here the little time I sent before you there's hours of preparation and prayer over the word of God so that the word of God will not return void. And because God says my word will not return void it will do exactly what God has a purpose for it to do. I pray that your God would either be a blessing that it will bring to repentance that it will help you to grow in the Lord, but there's there's a flip side to it. Also when I teach God's word when you hear God's word and then you don't put it into practice. You don't do what you do do bad. You don't live at guess what you're bringing condemnation up on yourself. Because there is no such thing as a real heaven and there is such a thing as a real hell and God says the people will follow him will obey his word walk with him will spend eternity with him and those will keep ignoring his word. It will not be a blessing to them and put some of you if you will be safe because the Bible says in 1st Corinthians chapter 3 that some of us will be saved through fire. That means some of us will barely make it. But the difference is that when you live on Earth you just live a miserable life where you never really live out God's plan for your life that your life keep going through Cycles. You just dealing with the same problems over and over and over and then you never get out of it because at that point you are not living the blessed life because you are not following God's word. Are you saved? Yes, you will be safe. But you are not living the Abundant Life. You are not living God's plan for your life because God says, I know the plans I have for you. They are plans to prosper. You not to harm you to give you a future but a lot of us constantly still making bad decisions. We are not living in wisdom as Jim's teaches in the Book of James to have wisdom because the Bible says if any of you lack wisdom let him do what when you ask God says I will give you wisdom you read through the Book of Proverbs. That's one thing my dad taught me to read a chapter of proverb every Dang, because there's 30 days in each month except February course at least 30 days. You say you read it and then we get to the 30 if they just go ahead and double up and read proverbs 31 and I was so glad to hear like my my son has been talking to my dad a lot more often than I have. My dad even reminded me that the other day. Hey Junior is taking your place now because he calls me all the time. You don't call me as often as he does. And then my dad was teaching him the exact same thing. You said? Oh, I just do not always call me. Oh, I just talked to the grandpa and he said that I need to read Proverbs everyday man. I smiled because Dad cut me the same thing and I know that proverb save me from a lot of trouble. I can remember vividly a scripture from Proverbs as I was going to get myself into some very stupid mess. Because I read Proverb that day it literally saved my life. Even the my destiny where I am right now. I would not be there where I am. But only because I read Proverb that day. It just saved me from a heap of trouble in a heap of sin. But because I hated the word of God Z God continue to lead and guide your steps. And remember God says the reason you obey your leaders is because they teach you the truth. It's the word of God as taught and they are leaving it there are being leaders and they are being examples it is let them do this with joy and not with groaning for that would not be of no advantage to you. But remember verse 13 and 1st Thessalonians as you read it. What did it says? It says be at peace among yourselves the really if you're giving problems in your church to your leader you just hurting your own self. That makes sense. Those are your listening online I just for you, so it's not about me. It's about l l in your church. Make sure you obey your leaders. And yeah, that wouldn't be of any advantage to you. Then. The second thing the third thing we learned was that the honor and appreciate your leaders. We saw that in verse 13 and also in 1st Timothy and then lastly and I shared with you the ways you can honor and appreciate your leaders is by draining in prayer for them. Just like to see Paul was asking for prayer put to practice what you have learned at questions live right show gratitude. Thank you. Noah share change life stories and serve so show spiritual growth in the last thing we learned was that you love because it says a steam them highly in love. You need to love your leaders. So the bottom line ReStore in spiritual leadership is that was the result of church family following their Future Leaders will be peace and Harmony in their church and sin my selfishness only destroys and offended just because we're not going the same direction and Warren wiersbe reminded us church leaders or not. I'm at the theaters with leaders are example and leaders and examples as they follow the lord. We need to follow them then Family Partnership member shirt following Christ is not a spectator sport. Everybody has to get involve. God doesn't call us to be consumers, but God calls us to be committed followers. See God doesn't call us just to sit on the sideline, but God wants us to be on the field. God doesn't call us to just come here. How to get but we come to give when you come here is like, how can I be a blessing to somebody else not what can I get from the word chest for myself verse 14 atossa Paul tells us about three types of people in the church Brothers admonish the idols, encouraged the FED hearted help the weak and be patient with them are so the idle these are those were unruly or carelessly out of line. They are disordered. They don't follow any thing they just want to do their own thing. And the way that Paul calls us to work with them is to warn them to warn them confront them when they are not walking with Jesus and Titus tells us people like this. You wore them once worn them twice and then after that you have nothing to do. With them because obviously they show who they are because they don't want to follow Christ the second category Resort. The feeble-minded is that those were timid. Woo kind of like lacking courage. They don't have the boldness to to to live the Gospel Light might be like you that even though you might be a Christian.

Even though you might be a Christian and nobody at work knows that you were Christian. You might be at school. Nobody knows that you were Christian. You are what I called the closet Christian.

Kind of like it's time to get out. Everybody's getting out of the closet. That makes sense. That's the people just being timid about your face your face needs to be public. That's why your face needs to be lived out in the Public Square. Everybody needs to know and God says those who are like this you need to encourage them encouraged them Comfort them just be there for them and help them to grow push them keep pushing them so that they get out of that state and then lastly you had the week do the other people want to do right? But somehow they are unable to do right and then they are struggling impulses. Do you be there for them fall is saying literally don't let them fall give them all the support that they need so that they can try so that's command was not just for pastors to do but it was for all of us to because it says Brothers Do this. So all of us have the responsibility as church members to encourage admonish and support and help one. Another the bottom line is that leaders can do it all we must learn to minister to one another my job is to equip you for the work of minastrin to build the body of Christ. Your job is to say it with me do the work now our topic this morning then pick worship authentic worship. See a lot of us often we look at worship as singing songs, but as we will look at this morning and end in 1st Thessalonians worship is much more about singing songs, but it's much more about an attitude of obedience to Christ look with me in or 17. The first fing Paul is talking about they're talking about worship is that it says they with me pray without ceasing Jose. Does that mean that I need to lock myself in a room all day and just pray now member just talked about the idols that you need to be moving. You need to get things done. You need to work it out. You still need to go to work. You still need to go to school. You still need to do all of your things, but he rap all he's saying is that you need to have an attitude of constantly communicating with God pray without ceasing as you face challenges in school you face challenges in working. Challenges in life. What do you do you bring everything to God In Prayer? That doesn't mean that it's going to be an hour prayer doesn't mean that it's going to be a prayer on your knees is going to be it doesn't mean that it's going to be afraid in your closet with your door closed. It's what I called popcorn prayers Lord and do this right now Lord. I'm about to fall Lord. Get me out of this get me out of this help me Lord. Help me to be strong. You know the help me Lord, I can't handle this. So Lord. I'm losing hope right now Lord. I'm really hurt right now by what has just happened to me is that you constantly having that adage of what you have a big project God. I don't know how I'm going to tackle this project. I don't think I'm going to make it but God, please give me the strength. You think it's constantly relying upon God. It says pray without ceasing and as resource book The Book of Revelations. Our prayers are like incense to God is like your prayer goes into a ball and going to got so you're cray. Yours are very important Prager needs to be Priority but a lot of us prayer for us is the last resort, isn't it? It is it after we've done all we can do all weekend. Then that's when we start prayer. We try to solve the issue all on our own we tried everything that we can win that thing works most of us. That's when we turn to prayer but God is saying a prayer needs to be the first thing when you faced challenges at work at school with relationships with one another financial difficulties. God says ain't trying to pray your prayer needs to be a priority in your life. Not last resort thing that you do yesterday. I was listening to a message on Psalm 34 and then last night that's how we do Bible study with our kids and I think that's really speaks to the heart of Prayer. And worship look here and verse in Psalm 34 Verse 1 to 10. It says I Will Bless The Lord At.

I Will Bless The Lord at all times I Will Bless The Lord when I just got fired from my job. I will bless the Lord when I have a broken relationship I Will Bless The Lord when I just fail the class, I will bless the Lord when I have no money. I will bless the Lord whatever I phrase I Will Bless The Lord when people are rude to me. I will bless the Lord whatever after I seem like they Hallelujah with me.

Are you doing yet? I Will Bless The Lord At. All times so our attitude is always an attitude of worship. You see worshipping God is more of an attitude of our hearts. Then it is about the expression of Praise, which is was singing the lot of people think that is just like just the yelling and Anna singing the rolling on the floor. That's when you're worshipping. The worship is a matter of the heart if your heart is not in the right place your heart is not living for God. You can yell all you want roll on the floor all you want to get all the shower that you want, but they not going anywhere. The heart worship is a hard matter. I Will Bless The Lord at all times. He's praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in the Lord. Let the humble here and be glad Omak notify the Lord with me and let us exalt his name together. I sought the Lord is here are there I sought the Lord and what did he do answered me and delivered me from all my fears. But also a lot of people when we look at it verse like that. We kind of look at God as the genie in the bottle like everything that I pray. I needed to happen and the million-dollar now I needs to happen tomorrow. I said the Lord and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears CD again heart needs to be in the right place. The Bible says kind of like give God your desires and he will give you the desires of your heart some 37 any any any real believer in your nose that verse by heart?

Psalm 37 verse 4 What does it say? Very cute. This one Christian here in this room. Commit your ways to the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. You see you see the heart issue. So my heart has been searching for God and as I pray to God as my heart was in the right place. I was committing my ways to the Lord then God answered me and he delivered me from all my fears. Those will look to him are radiant and their faces shall never be a shame this poor man, cried prayer and the Lord heard him and save them out of all his trouble. Is it at a broken person the angel of the Lord in camps around those who fear Him that means you're working with him and he does what? delivers him nothing In Proverbs, it says when you're not walking with God and you just praying and asking God for things God doesn't even hear those prayers because it says those prayers are just an Abomination to him.

They're really when you're not working with red. The only prayer that God hears is the prayer of repentance. Anything else is just an Abomination is like you're not working with God or God. Please bless me. I need a promotion I need God is not even listening that prays even just an Abomination is like, it's kind of just remember God talks about a relationship and I was just like a father and a son. Okay, so my son constantly just disrespect me and doesn't do anything that I ask him to do just constantly disrespect disobey everything that I tell him to do and then he's coming to me at that. I need a new car.

Where do you think I will do? Even having the money when I give him a car. If I give him a call be a very bad parents. I will just tell him like a not following rules not obeying me not doing what you're supposed to do messing up is all right. Now, I'm just rewarding your bad behavior. God does not reward bad behavior and got 10 minutes. See those who fear Him those will work with him. He delivers them and that's why you see a lot of us are like you're going for Cycles because we are just in a period of disobedience in until we snap out of it. God cannot bless us and move us to the next step in his plan for our lives. It says, oh taste and see that the Lord is good. That means the more you walking in obedience with God the more you realizing it.

done way before Remember, I keep referring to the same person over and over and I will keep doing that all year long the Devil comes to steal to kill and to destroy but I comes it that you might have life and have it abundantly the big lie of the culture is that you going to miss out when you truly follow God that you just not going to have fun. You're not going to have joy that things are just going to be a mess. You're not going to enjoy anything in life. That's a big life of the devil. That's so taste and see that the Lord is good blessed is the man who takes refuge in him old fear the lord you he sent for those who fear Him have what?

No luck. Are you going to miss out when you followed. Abdullah II of the culture look at it again first then the Young Lion sell for 1 and hunger but those who pray those was sick the Lord with me like no good thing. What's the line of the culture to follow God and your life will be miserable. You cannot enjoy anything. You cannot have fun. Said Who and the people were telling you that they're miserable themselves. They just trying to drag you down with them just like hell hell was not created for us. Hell was only created for the devil. But what does the devil do try to drag as many people as he can with him to his destination? He's destination is sure. But yours is not held yours can be happen. That makes sense. When you follow God you lack nothing. Is the verse say it with me?

Said like if you leave it give thanks in all circumstances for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

It's easy when everything is going well for you and your life to do this. When when finances are tight when school is not going well when your job is unsecured when relationships are not where they're supposed to be when things are not going the way that they go in. Your future doesn't seem clear.

It is hard to live out this verse. But that's why he comes now with faith. It takes faith. I am going to do it because that's what God says. God says give thanks in all circumstances. My prayer will be like this God. I don't understand what's going on in my life right now, but I sure am going to trust in you because your word says See now. You just pray scripture because What you will want to say will not come out, right? You just pray scripture and they'll God help me help me your word says that my my my future my steps are ordered by you, but I don't understand this part of my journey right now. Was that really part of your plan? God help me to see what you doing in this situation in my life right now. So help me Lord. God to get on your plan. My plan give thanks in all circumstances for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. See you need to honor and obey go regardless of your circumstances. You need to honor and obey God regardless of your circumstances.

Let me pray for you right now. I know you need this father. I'll pray for each one of us here helped us whatever we face in life. To honor you regardless of how we feel in Jesus name. Amen that verse Philippians 4 verse 4 to 7. That's a very popular passage of scripture save with me. It says rejoice in the lord always and in case you missed it the first time you say the second time and again, I will say rejoice let your reasonableness be known to everyone. So be reasonable the Lord is at hand a. Don't stress over little things. That doesn't mean anything God is coming back. image of a that any moment for the Rapture or to our death Are you saying like I don't sweat over little stuff whenever you face. You're just a little. It's not it's not real. It's not going to last forever. God is at hand has bigger things. They had. That's why he says now don't be anxious about anything but in everything by prayer and supplication with Thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. What does he say turn everything to pray your turn every pain to rare turn every problems to prayer. Stop is going home. And then you give it up to God In Prayer. Let your requests be made known to God and His the promise and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Prayer brings. Peace

Yardworks and God tells us a you live like that. You will not have a meal I got this a do your part. And I will do my part. Does that tell you to Rejoice always whatever circumstances that your face? What should you do Rejoice always God says don't be anxious about anything but in everything pray. I got to do your part and I will do my point and 4 verse 19 in 1st Thessalonians 5. It says do not quench the spirit in Ephesians. God says we need to be filled with the spirit. So God wants us to be people were filled with the spirit. That means we know God's word will living it. We're walking according to God's word and we are not doing anything to actually take it out when you see getting the spirited in in in Ephesians 4:30 again, it says don't quench the spirit. So whenever we're being a disobedient, we're not walking with God. That's what we're doing. We are flinching the spirits. But God wants us to be filled with the spirit. Then it says do not despise prophecies. That means when you read God's word and then God give you a word. Don't despise it. God says when you see God's word, you know what it says. It is a command to obey you need to do what obey God's word when somebody speaks into your life and share a Bible verse with your word from God and when is genuine don't despise it? Okay. Listen to what the word of God says when you hear me speak right now don't despise it cuz we have the tendency to say that's not for me. I remember somebody we keep saying that oh, you know how thick I think what I want and I'll leave the other. The Bible says that you may keep the all of the commandant, but if you fail in one of them you have broken them all. Is he it's not just a buffet you pick what you want.

It's smaller card. They bring you whatever the menu and you just you just you just take it all yet. You don't have the luxury of picking and choosing. Take God's word. It's either you will be all of it or you don't obey. Add at all as one of my passes used to say partial obedience is no obedience at all. And that's where we are today in our culture. We are partial obedient Christians. We pick the things that we want to obey and then we ignore the ones that we do not want to obey and as a result our life never become blessed because we are partial Christians and God has no room for partial Christians. No part-time Christians God only has full-time positions.

You with me you can be a part-time Christian. You have to be a full-time Christian and that's why a lot of us. We never enjoy enough of the world. Never enjoy enough of God because we have one foot in the wall world and one foot with God when we are in the world. We are not totally satisfied because we know that there are certain things we doing we're not supposed to do and then. Just bring guilt that just bring shame. We are not comfortable. Then when we are with God would want for it and God and then we are just partially obeying because down deep we still want to go do the things in the world. What the Bible says in Romans chapter 12 do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that by testing you may know the will of God In Reverse when it says I beseech you therefore Brethren by the mercies of God to give your body as a Living Sacrifice that mean dead to self. It is no longer my will but it is God's will working in my life. So it says do not despise prophecies and then says but test everything hold fast to what is good when somebody Cheryl word with you. He says, okay go check it for yourself. So I give you all the Bible verses when you hear I say anything here you feel like how is that true? Look it up be like the Berean Christian hymns. We talked in the book of Acts as the apostles were teaching them. What did they do? They went back and search the scriptures for themselves and see what it what was taught to them with It was true. That's how you keep leaders accountable and that's why the problem we have in the culture today. You have a lot of people following a lot of people that are just called to and then a lot of people that I just in there just using the gospel as a business as a means for financial gain and popularity and then people are just following them blindly and the only way they are able to do what they do is because people are not reading their Bible and most people that book goes on read every week and some people think as long as they have it on the Olympic table. They're good. But it's just collecting dust. You never open it it's of no use to you. Okay, the power is in the reading the word and applying the word in your life be here. It is but test everything hold fast to what is good. So the way you test is by knowing God's word and you see a lot of people in those places where there are they start reading God's word. They cannot stay where they are and people will not get away with the kind of things that they are doing in their culture. So the way you test everything is to become a student of the word study the word to show yourself approved unto the Lord.

1st John 4:1 tells us the same thing beloved do not believe every Spirit but do what the spirits to see whether they are from who from God for what many false prophets pastors teachers have gun out into the world right now. We are not blocking any at all Wii U you turn everywhere there's plenty of them and but the only way, you know, the false prophets in the false teachers is by Reading the word and studying the word for yourself. Then in verse 22. It says abstain from every form of evil to stay away from doing bad things. Stay away from sin walk with God worship is a matter of attitude of the heart and obedience. Worship is not what we have made it out to be that's when we are worshipping God with authenticity and look here. That's why I love about God's word. Anytime. God gives us a command as a promise to do it. Look at the blessing there in verse 23 24 now may the God of Peace sanctify you completely You can do all that by yourself. You can give thanks in all circumstances. You can that I've stolen from every form of evil without God. But it started making a commitment when you make a commitment to whatever I face. I'm going to honor God when you make a commitment that to stay away from the evil when you make a commitment to rejoice in the lord always is he when you make that commitment thank God will finish. It's the SEC defy you completely and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept how blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. You see the focus on how to focus on the coming of the Lord. He will calls you is what for God is faithful. He will surely do it falls as a you walk with God you do the swings that I've talked to you. God will prove himself to be faithful. God will not ask you to do anything that he will not stand with you.

Once you make a commitment to walk worthy of the Gospel worship and serve Faithfully. God will do the rest. When you take the first step. You think you did it yourself? But it was God all along helping you to make that first step. But when you take that step of Faith, that's that would be the ends and then you continue. And then God keeps taking all the steps with you, then it becomes second nature to you.

Look at phillipians 16. I am confident of this that he will began a good work in you. Will bring it to completion.

You take steps of obedient. God will walk with you take step of faith. God will work with you. Remember our afeem last year God honors those who honors him and this year God rewards obedience if you obey God God will reward you for it. And I think that's really beautiful. Here's the bottom line is the bottom line me bottom line it for you worship is not simply singing songs, but worship is a lifestyle of abeyance worship is not simply singing songs, but worship is a lifestyle of abeyance. You want to worship God. obey him Not obey him with the things that you want, but obey him and everything that he's word peaches and as you obey him, there's no greater worship than that.

and automatically the songs will come. Because the Bible talks about songs in the night. The Bible, where you just like breaking into praise, but why? It's because the heart is in the right place. Remember Paul and his companions when they were in jail even after earthquake happens doors were open. What were they doing? Did they try to run out? They were just worshiping and praising God. Hey, once you take the step of a beating God will bless, you know, it's in the passage years verse 25. Then Paul says to them brothers pray for us to help raise them for that even pulled the great Apostle. We're all his companions what he requested from. The testimonials was pray for us. Remember the elders are among you and over you so they are brother just like you will have the privilege to serve as Leaders to Paula saying hey, Pray for us. Pray for me. Paul is saying I depend on your prayer prayer is important than great Apostle Paul any prayer that we think we don't need prayer. So we all need prayers and really Paula sing the a I depend on your prayer Pray For Me and then he says greet all the brothers with a holy kiss. Any brothers want to come here? Let me show you a way to Holy kisses.

Jesus said hey. Greet others as your grade in your culture. Que haces a handshake. It's a hog, whatever it is like it in your culture you go ahead. You greet people as such in my culture will kiss the ladies on the chick K as we go. That's just how we do it then and he referring to Middle Eastern culture where the men would just kiss one another like on the cheek like that, but it doesn't mean that that's what we need to do here. But whatever is appropriate for the culture like that means that show that you care when you see somebody you like I said, my brother was told me you would still buy, you know, It was good to see him. See give him a handshake give you a high five. Give a hug, you know, whatever is appropriate. That's why it is. I know some people that made the nominations out of this. I know friend of mine with a church and a z wasn't leaving an older lady called him and he was in college or in the military somewhere and as he was leaving the church in an older lady called the young man. I can't believe you leaving here without giving me a holy kiss and he can't even kiss him on the list.

Play Bad stretch. Every time I leave the kiss one another but that's not what I'm saying. I just come and taters agree with me agree people appropriate to the culture. Okay, it's all about showing care and showing love and I hear what Paul stands there and says, hey I put you under of before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers Safari thing. I read it every single person. I've been faithful. I've read the entire letter to you if you didn't hear all of it because you were attacked here. So you're go and you read it yourself and read the letter or get me some people read the letter because when we reading God's word, it's like we're praising God. It's not like it's like we are praising God. We are reading his word and growing in him and analyze verse that says the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. I love it that Paul starts with verse one with Grace words his grace and peace be to you and 1:1 and here he ends it with Grace. Do you know that that's why you are here. That's why I am here. It's because of Grace or if it was not for God's grace. We would not be here today.

That's why we need to clean to God's grace at all times because we needs his grace. We can do this life on our phone. We can only do it in God's power. So in a nutshell would we have learned here? The three Essentials to thrive as a local church family is spiritual leadership. God says we need leaders in the church and as Believers of fellow brothers, we need to follow the leaders as they follow Christ. And then we need partnership all of us need to get involved. If you look in your nose. Probably you never paid attention to it at the bottom. We always have this verse there on Ezra tinnitus azra said it said is hard to study God's word to do it or practice it and to teach it to others. So Family Partnership get involved. That means you need to learn what we doing right now as you're learning God's words. You need to live it out to sea as rossetti's art to study God's word to do it a practice. It's and then to teach it to you leading. That's why I really don't know what to say serve serve serve but really you learn you live and you lead with God's word and then lastly alfenta qershia Play Walk. Worthy of the Gospel which means getting rid of sin and your life and obey his word worship is a lifestyle of obedience. That makes sense. Does that make sense? Ready to do it. Let's pray father. Thank you for your grace. Thank you for teaching us your word this morning and help us father to live it out. Help us to go ahead and do it. Help us look to thrive as a local church family as we learn to care for one another following a leadership from your word.

And helping my slug guy to have a heart of obedient. Where we worship you both in spirit? and in truth

Now, what does this mean for us as a church? What does it mean for us here at Bible Fellowship to thrive as a local church family where we are on the spiritual leadership. We are a Family Partnership where we all get involved and also a fantastic worship. So here's how you can get involved either you can get in for his how are you can serve so it's our what we call PSI + PSI + P stands for pray. Ask for share. I for invite and then the plus is the W, which means to welcome. An M4 Minister and the RS just we just repeat the process. So, how can you help your church Thrive? Because the Bible says the prayer of a righteous person has great power when you pray God moves as you pray from a contrite and broken heart to the Lord. And the way that we encourage you to do is to break during your lunch time most of us if we never pray for the day, but one time we do praise during lunch time, cuz most of us have really learned how to give grace before our food. Am I mistaken? If it if you don't play in the morning and I pray at night when you get your food and most of us would buy her head down and then we say grace and thank God for our food. So since I know that's what most of us do so during lunch time. That's one way you can serve you just pray as you pray for your food or father. Please bless the food. I'm about to receive and I also pray for my church family help our church to grow both spiritually and numerically help me to leave worthy to walk worthy of the gospel and help me to do my part in making disciples For Your Glory in Jesus name. Amen, you see one where you can get involved. That's one way because God calls us to be partners that we are doing this together. So that's one way you could do that or come before service at 9:30 every Sunday. We pray before service at 9:30. You come and pray help us pray for our goals this year, which is our ABCs A is to increase attendance cuz God says he wants his house to be full. So we need to be inviting others to be here and we pray for increase attendance. Then B is for a building Improvement. We need to make some improvements here in the church. So you pray for that and see praying for change life because all we doing here is just a waste of time if lives are not being changed. If I'm not being impacted by your life is not being change. We not making a difference in people's life in the community or everywhere that God has opened a door for Ministry for us. This is a complete waste of time. without a change of life like what we doing here total waste of time. So we need to pray for change lives. That's our ABCs this year. So if you want to join us you come in Sunday morning at 9:30. And you pray during your lunchtime effusion. 618 says praying at all times in the spirit with all prayer and supplication to death and keep alert with all perseverance making praeger's supplication for all the sins. That means we need to be praying for one another and then he's the simple prayer. I just said to you you can take a picture of it if you'd like to pray for us so I can send it to you. If you want to pray during your lunch time. It just sounds like this after you pray for your food. You just a father. Please help my church to grow spiritually and numerically help me to walk worthy of the gospel and do my part in making disciples and helping my church to grow in Jesus name. Amen. If we all do that at lunch time. Lunch time we all pray together for our church guess what will happen our church will grow spiritually and our church will grow in numbers as well. And the next thing you do is to share share. That means you share the gospel with one another make a commitment to share the gospel with at least one person every day. You all see people everyday write anybody work from home. Okay, none of you here work-from-home. None of you. So everyday all of you see some other people and even if you work from home or you just stay in your apartment on your house, wherever you are. Guess what?