“if we are the body… “what’s in it for me?. “the church is an eternal organism in the...
TRANSCRIPT
““If we If we are The are The Body…Body…
““What’s What’s in it for in it for
meme??
““The church is The church is an eternal an eternal
organismorganism in in the earth, the earth,
doing the will doing the will of God and of God and
accomplishing accomplishing the purpose of the purpose of
God.”God.”
• Colossians 1:25-27Colossians 1:25-27 - “Whereof I - “Whereof I am made a minister, according to am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is the dispensation of God which is given to me given to me for you, to fulfil the for you, to fulfil the word of Godword of God; Even the mystery ; Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages which hath been hid from ages
and from generations, but now is and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known whom God would make known
what is the riches of the glory of what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; this mystery among the Gentiles;
which is Christ in you, the which is Christ in you, the hope of gloryhope of glory””
1 Corinthians 12:27 – “Now ye areare the body of
Christ, and members in particular.”
• 1 Timothy 3:15 – “But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou
oughtest to behave thyself in the house in the house of God, which is the of God, which is the church of the living church of the living GodGod, the pillar and the pillar and
ground of the ground of the truthtruth.”
• It is God’s It is God’s vehiclevehicle to to
getget us us where he where he
wants us to wants us to gogo
•John 14:6 – “Jesus saith unto him, I am the wayway, the truthtruth, and the lifelife: no man
cometh unto the Father, but by
Me.”
• Acts 1:9-11 – “And when He had spoken these things, while they while they beheld, He was taken upbeheld, He was taken up; and a cloud received Him out of their
sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven?
this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so
come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”
John 14:6 – “Jesus saith unto him, I am the wayway, the truthtruth, and the lifelife:
… .”
•The churchThe church is our is our vehicle to vehicle to get usget us where God wants where God wants us to go. (us to go. (It’s the It’s the WAY to get thereWAY to get there))
…“…“What’What’s in it s in it for Me?”for Me?”
•It’s Where It’s Where we find we find
ourour authorityauthority
• It is God’s It is God’s instrumentinstrument
through which through which we we carry outcarry out
his commission his commission to to gogo
1 Corinthians 12:27 – “Now ye areare the body of
Christ, and members in particular.”
Colossians 1:18 – “And He (Christ) is the is the
head of the body, head of the body, the churchthe church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all
things He might He might have the have the
preeminencepreeminence.”
• Matthew 28:19-20 - “Go ye therefore, and teach (disciple) all nations, baptizing them in the
name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching
them to observe all things whatsoever I have
commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even
unto the end of the world. Amen.”
• Acts 13:1-4 – “Now there were in the in the church that was at Antiochchurch that was at Antioch certain
prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and
Saul. As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the workme Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called themwhereunto I have called them. And when theythey had fasted and prayed, and
laid their their hands on them, theythey sent themthem away. So theythey, being sent forth being sent forth
by the Holy Ghostby the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to
Cyprus.”
• It is God’s It is God’s FamilyFamily
through through which He which He
DesignedDesigned us us to to gRoWgRoW
• It’s Where It’s Where we find we find
ourour BELONGINGBELONGING
The Longing The Longing for Edenfor Eden
The Longing for The Longing for EdenEden
•ImmortalityImmortality
The Longing for The Longing for EdenEden
•ImmortalityImmortality•WealthWealth
The Longing for The Longing for EdenEden
• ImmortalityImmortality• WealthWealth• PowerPower
The Longing for The Longing for EdenEden• ImmortalityImmortality
• WealthWealth• PowerPower
• BelongingBelonging
Colossians 2:10 – “And ye are complete in Him, which is the head of all principality and
power”
Colossians 3:1-2 - “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are
above, where Christ sitteth on the right
hand of God. Set your affection on things
above, not on things on the earth.”
What are the What are the THINGS to SEEK THINGS to SEEK
above?above?
What are the What are the THINGS to SEEK THINGS to SEEK
above?above?•The THRONE of The THRONE of
God.God.
Ezekiel 1:26-28 - “And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness was the likeness
of a throneof a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of of
the thronethe throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it. And I
saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it,
from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his
loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about. As the appearance of the
bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And
when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.”
Isaiah 6:1-3 – “In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the I saw also the
Lord sitting upon a throneLord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his
train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said,
Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of
his glory.”
Revelation 4:1-2 - “After this I looked, and, behold, a
door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me;
which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a a thronethrone was set in heaven,
and one sat on the thronethrone.”
What are the What are the THINGS to SEEK THINGS to SEEK
above?above?•The WORD of The WORD of
God.God.
Psalms 119:89 - “For ever, O
LORD, thy Word is
settled in in heavenheaven.”
What are the What are the THINGS to SEEK THINGS to SEEK
above?above?•The PERSON of The PERSON of
God.God.
1 John 5:7- “For there are three that bear record in heavenin heaven, the
Father, the Word, and the Holy
Ghost: and these three are one.”
Mark 12:30 – “And thou shalt love
the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy
soul, and with all thy mind, and
with all thy strength: ….”
What are the What are the THINGS to SEEK THINGS to SEEK
above?above?•The FAMILY of The FAMILY of
God.God. (Ephesians 2 and 3)
1 Corinthians 12:27 – “Now ye areare the body of
Christ, and members in particular.”
• It’s Where It’s Where
we find we find Our Our
encouragementencouragement
1 Corinthians 12:25-27- “That there should be no schism in
the body; but that the members should have the
same care one for another. And whether one member And whether one member
suffer, all the members suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one suffer with it; or one
member be honoured, all member be honoured, all the members rejoice with the members rejoice with itit. Now ye are the body of
Christ, and members in particular.”
Romans 12:15 - “Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and
weep with them that weep.”
Hebrews 10:22-25 - “Let usLet us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of
faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our
bodies washed with pure water. Let Let usus hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for He is faithful that promised;) And let uslet us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not
forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner
of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as
ye see the day approaching.”
Hebrews 3:13 - “But exhort one another
daily, while it is called To day; lest
any of you be hardened through
the deceitfulness of sin.”
““The church is The church is an eternal an eternal
organismorganism in in the earth, the earth,
doing the will doing the will of God and of God and
accomplishing accomplishing the purpose of the purpose of
God.”God.”
““One another”-One another”-245 times in KJV245 times in KJV•Romans 12:5Romans 12:5 – “So we, being – “So we, being
many, are one body in Christ, and many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of every one members one of
another.”another.”
• Exhort Exhort (Hebrews 3:13, 10:25)• Consider Consider (Hebrews 10:24)• Provoke (stir up for good)(rally) Provoke (stir up for good)(rally) (Hebrews
10:24)• Confess Your Faults To Confess Your Faults To (James 5:16)• Pray For Pray For (James 5:16)• Have Compassion For Have Compassion For (1st Peter 3:8)• Show Hospitality To Show Hospitality To (1st Peter 4:9)…without …without
grudging!grudging!• Be Courteous To Be Courteous To (1st Peter 3:8)• Minister To Minister To (1st Peter 4:10)• Bear BurdensBear Burdens (Galatians 6:2)
DODO::
• Care For Care For (1st Corinthians 12:25)• Serve Serve (Galatians 5:13)• Forbear (put up with) Forbear (put up with) (Ephesians 4:2)
(Colossians 3:13)• Forgive Forgive (Ephesians 4:32)(Colossians 3:13)• Be Kind Be Kind (Eph. 4:32)(1st Peter 3:8)- “be - “be
pitiful”-kindheartedpitiful”-kindhearted• Be Tenderhearted Be Tenderhearted (Ephesians 4:32)• Teach Teach (Colossians 3:16)• Comfort Comfort (1st Thessalonians 4:18, 5:11)• Be Subject To (respect)Be Subject To (respect) (1st Peter 5:5)
DODO::
• Have peace Have peace (Mark 9:50)• Love Love (John 13:34)(John 15:12)(1st Peter 1:22)(1st
John 3:14,4:12) and many other places in and many other places in scripture (scripture (total of 19total of 19) – John 15:12 “) – John 15:12 “as I have as I have loved youloved you””
• Be kindly affectioned (cherish) Be kindly affectioned (cherish) (Romans 12:10)• Prefer (leading the way to safety) Prefer (leading the way to safety) (Romans
12:10)• Be likeminded Be likeminded (Romans 12:16)(Romans 15:5-7)• Edify (build-up) Edify (build-up) (Romans 14:19)(1st Thess 5:11)• Receive Receive (Romans 15:7)• Admonish (caution) Admonish (caution) (Romans15:14)(Col. 3:16)
DODO::
• Deal Falsely With Deal Falsely With (Leviticus 19:11)• Lie To (Leviticus 19:11 Lie To (Leviticus 19:11 (Ephesians 4:25)• Oppress Oppress (Leviticus 25:17)• Judge Judge (Romans 14:13)• Be A Stumblingblock To Be A Stumblingblock To (Romans 14:13)• Be Puffed Up Against Be Puffed Up Against (1st Corinthians 4:6)• Provoke (in anger)(stir up to wrath) Provoke (in anger)(stir up to wrath)
(Galatians 5:26)• Envy Envy (Galatians 5:26)• Prefer (Be Partial) Prefer (Be Partial) (1st Timothy 5:21)• Speak Evil Speak Evil (James 4:11)• Grudge Grudge (James 5:9)
DON’DON’TT::
• It’s Where It’s Where
we find we find Our Our
accountabilityaccountability
Matthew 18:15-18 – “Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but
if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a
publican. Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in
heaven.”
1 Corinthians 5:9-11 – “I wrote unto you in an epistle not to not to
companycompany with fornicators: Yet not altogether with the
fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world. But
now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man if any man that is called a brotherthat is called a brother be a
fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a
drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.”
2 Thessalonians 3:14-15 – “And if any man obey
not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company
with him, that he that he may be ashamedmay be ashamed.
Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish
him as a brother.”
Romans 16:17-18 – “Now I I beseech you, brethrenbeseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences
contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that
are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.”
Proverbs 27:6 – “Faithful are the
wounds of a friend;…”Ephesians 4:15 – “But speaking the truth in
love, may grow up into Him in all things,
which is the head, even Christ”
Galatians 6:1 - “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault,
ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in
the spirit of meekness;
considering thyself, lest thou also be
tempted.”
•Authority Authority •BelongingBelonging
•EncouragementEncouragement•AccountabilityAccountability
That’s That’s what’s in it what’s in it for you… for you… what’s in what’s in it it for for othersothers because of because of you?you?