1,7 Our Calling--James 2:14-17, 26
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Wow—it’s 2018!
Wow—it’s 2018!
As we look back, we can see the blessings of God in many ways:
-New staff member
-New members added—29
-POF—10
-Baptisms—10
-New Ministries
Discipleship Classes—Single Parenting, Divorce Care, Men’s
BASIC Bible Study Series by Francis Chan
2 New Bible Study Classes
-Parking lot repaired and re-striped
No, we didn’t get it ALL done! We have lots left to do—
-18 in 2018
-18 in 2018
—Since we started praying and trusting, God has added 4 families
-we are still working on our Children’s wing
-Life Action Renewal Summit—
-More Connect Bible Study groups to start
-New Member Growth journey
As we approach the new year, we should want to
MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
READ
Faith and Works go together
Faith and Works go together
We should desire to be a church that is INTENTIONAL in our focus, desiring to “Make a Difference” that will bring glory to the name of Jesus Christ and offer hope to our community.
Changed People Serve People
Changed People Serve People
Strong Families Impact Culture
Strong Families Impact Culture
Share the Message of Hope with a Hopeless World
Share the Message of Hope with a Hopeless World
Generous Giving Provides Kingdom Opportunities
Generous Giving Provides Kingdom Opportunities
Disciples Make Disciples
Disciples Make Disciples
Be Present in His Presence
Be Present in His Presence
Faithful Pray-ers are Fruitful Partners
Faithful Pray-ers are Fruitful Partners
You may be thinking—“That’s not a big deal”—we can do that with no problem. That is probably what the church in Corinth thought as well. Corinth was a city noted for its wealth and indulgence. While it was the Roman Capital of the province of Achaea, it was the richest port and largest city in Greece. It actually became the meeting place for people all over the world. At the height of its population, there were approximately 700,000 people living there.
You can imagine the array of nationalities and cultures in Corinth. However, the people of the city considered themselves educated, refined and fluent. Lust for fame, money and power was evident.
McComb may not be a Corinth, but I think we would do well to recognize what happened to the Church in Corinth and beware as we set our goal on “Making A Difference”.
1-They Were Compromised-
1-They Were Compromised-
And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
They compromised their ability to hear and receive Truth. While Paul was trying to lead them to a more mature understanding of Scripture, they were unable to bear it. Instead, he was forced to treat them as children in Christ, who could only be fed with spiritual “milk”.
They compromised their ability to hear and receive Truth. While Paul was trying to lead them to a more mature understanding of Scripture, they were unable to bear it. Instead, he was forced to treat them as children in Christ, who could only be fed with spiritual “milk”.
To equip them was a focus for Paul—enabling them to weather the storms of life; living by faith; sharing their faith; strong in their doctrine.
We must not be compromised by the world—in the family of God we should always have babes in Christ, but if they are to mature, we need adults ministering to them.
This year, you should set spiritual goals and work toward them. Being faithful in attendance, faithful in prayer and faithful in giving would be a great place to start.
This year you should set goals to be involved in new ministries.
This year you should set personal goals for growth.
2- The Focus of Man became a Problem-
2- The Focus of Man became a Problem-
For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?
What started out as spiritual “preferences” soon became a “dividing mark” for the church. We are not here to elevate one above another. Jesus Christ alone must be the “focal” point of our thoughts and actions.
What started out as spiritual “preferences” soon became a “dividing mark” for the church. We are not here to elevate one above another. Jesus Christ alone must be the “focal” point of our thoughts and actions.
One ministry cannot be more important than the other. When we come together, we are to live and function as the body of Christ, allowing no one person or program to be our focus—Jesus is our FOCUS.
3- Their Identity became Flawed-
3- Their Identity became Flawed-
Now ye are full, now ye are rich, ye have reigned as kings without us: and I would to God ye did reign, that we also might reign with you. For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men. We are fools for Christ’s sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised.
While believing they were strong in themselves, the power of God had eluded them.
In doing this, they lost their heart for the lost.
In doing this, they lost their heart for the lost.
4- They Lost their Heart for the Poor—
4- They Lost their Heart for the Poor—
When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord’s supper. For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken. What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not.
They reached a point in which the poor and disadvantaged had no place among them.
They reached a point in which the poor and disadvantaged had no place among them.
For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
1 Cor 11:23-24
The Church in Corinth ignored those for whom Christ had given His life due to their failure in following His servant example.
The Church in Corinth ignored those for whom Christ had given His life due to their failure in following His servant example.
Our Focus is to “Make A Difference”—
Our Focus is to “Make A Difference”—
There is a story involving Yogi Berra, the well-known catcher for the New York Yankees, and Hank Aaron, who at that time was the chief power hitter for the Milwaukee Braves. The teams were playng in the World Series, and as usual Yogi was keeping up his ceaseless chatter, intended to pep up his teammates on the one hand, and distract the Milwaukee batters on the other. As Aaron came to the plate, Yogi tried to distract him by saying, "Henry, you're holding the bat wrong. You're supposed to hold it so you can read the trademark." Aaron didn't say anything, but when the next pitch came he hit it into the left-field bleachers. After rounding the bases and tagging up at home plate, Aaron looked at Yogi Berra and said, "I didn't come up here to read."
J. M. Boice, Learning to Lead, Revell, 1990, p. 38.
As a member of FBC McComb, I challenge you to step up— our FAITH and WORKS must go together.
Live a life focused on Jesus Christ—remembering that
-Changed People Serve People
-Strong Families Impact Culture
-Share the Message of Hope with a Hopeless World
-Generous Giving Provides Kingdom Opportunities
-Disciples Make Disciples
-Be Present in His Presence
-Faithful Pray-ers are Fruitful Partners
I Don’t want to be a Jonah
I Don’t want to be a Jonah
Jonah is a great example of what happens when a person knows what God is speaking but refuses to make the choice to live for others.
-God instructed Jonah to go to Nineveh and warn the people of judgment.
-Jonah didn’t want to go—most of us don’t like to go where we will be spent for others.
But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.
Nineveh is Northeast of Israel. This would have been a trip of more than 500 miles, to go to the capital of the Assyrian Empire. Nineveh was known for their cruelty to Israel and the world. Jonah didn’t want to go and offer Adonai’s forgiveness to such a people.
Nineveh is Northeast of Israel. This would have been a trip of more than 500 miles, to go to the capital of the Assyrian Empire. Nineveh was known for their cruelty to Israel and the world. Jonah didn’t want to go and offer Adonai’s forgiveness to such a people.
“Yahweh”- the one true God, focusing on His existence and relationship to His covenant people.
-Jonah did his best to get away from God’s calling.
Jonah is the church member who shops until he finds the voice that agrees with him rather than confronts him.
Jonah went “down” as far as he could go. The distance between Tarshish and Nineveh matched Jonah’s emotional distance from the spiritually needy people in Nineveh. God loved and wanted to save Nineveh, but Jonah didn’t want God to have mercy on Israel’s great enemy.
But the Lord sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken.
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And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you. Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring it to the land; but they could not: for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous against them. Wherefore they cried unto the Lord, and said, We beseech thee, O Lord, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for thou, O Lord, hast done as it pleased thee. So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging. Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the Lord, and made vows.
Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
Jonah 1:12
Jonah
Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish’s belly, And said,
I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord, and he heard me;
Out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.
For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas;
And the floods compassed me about:
All thy billows and thy waves passed over me.
Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight;
Yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.
The waters compassed me about, even to the soul:
The depth closed me round about,
The weeds were wrapped about my head.
READ 2:1-5
“weeds”—the symbol of an impossible place of no escape without supernatural help.
“weeds”—the symbol of an impossible place of no escape without supernatural help.
In our life, this would look like—I didn’t know this wasn’t gonna be about me and for me. God I surrendered my life to you and I thought you were going to do something great and marvelous through me. NOTE—He does the great and marvelous in us First! When we surrender, he uses us in ways we would never imagine.
Deliverance for Jonah came when he came to the point of “obedience”.
Deliverance for Jonah came when he came to the point of “obedience”.
It is no different today! It was no different for the Church in Corinth!
Every Christian is called to live not for himself or for herself.
Could it be that God wants us to acknowledge today that HE has ALL the Resources of Life that we need?
May we ask God to give us the HEART and STRENGTH to do what He has called us to do!!
I believe God will answer our Cry!
FAITH and WORKS go together if we are to be the Church God has called us to be!
WILL YOU COMMIT TODAY?
WILL YOU COMMIT TODAY?