MEMBER'S WORKING TOGETHER
INTRODUCTION
Faithful working brethren are needed in the kingdom of the lord.
Webster defines faithful as; keeping the faith, worthy of trust, honest, loyal.
If one is keeping the faith, and is a loyal adherent to Christ, then they will work for the Lord.
The unfaithful is not working for the lord, and is working in opposition to the Lord.
Matthew 12:30 He that is not with me is against me. He that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.
If we are not aggressively, positively, working to spread, and establish, the cause of Christ, then you are scattering what someone else has labored too gather.
There is no neutrality, no standing still, there is no plateau, where we can stand and pause.
Anytime we stop in our service of the master, we are drifting backward, and losing ground instantly.
Also souls will likely be lost in our attempt to rest for a few moments,
from diligent service of the Lord.
People are looking at you, people are expecting something from you!
They will in great measure, be controlled by your example.
So, we need to be laboring aggressively for the cause of Christ.
Not to suggest every member of the church must preach the gospel publicly.
This comment doesn't mean ever faithful child of God is showing a filmstrip to someone every night.
This comment doesn't mean every faithful, child of God is knocking doors every spare moment of the day.
There are those in this congregation whose good works are abundant.
About which you hear very little.
The only time we hear anything from their labors, if someone has a complaint
or a gripe.
So much good work is being done, keep it up that's marvelous.
Working aggressively for the cause of Christ. The ladies of the church do so much good work.
In every phase and facet of our lives we need to serve the lord.
If all of us were doing the same thing we would not be much of a functioning body.
Paul said if were all were an eye where would the hearing.
We need the eye, ears, nose and the smallest digit of the body.
We must serve by finding our niche and then best serve accordingly to out ability and talent which we are more efficient.
Jesus said ye are the salt of the earth
Matthew 5:13 "Ye are the salt of the earth".
What value is salt if it is not salty?
If salt does not have the capacity to make food savory then it is of no profit and of no use.
Oh, there are many properties of salt and each are worthy, salt is also a preservative.
But if salt loses its saltiness, is no longer capable of serving the fine functions of salt, what is it good for?
Don't cast it on the field where you grow your vegetables. Don't put it on your walkway it becomes greasy.
What good is salt that has lost its savor or saltiness?
He is talking about me and the influence I am to have!
"Ye are the salt of the world." My savory influence is being under consideration.
Matthew 5:16 "Ye are the light of the world".
Immediately he after talking about being a light, He then said that we are not to put our lamp, or light under a covering.
In total darkness a match produces a welcomed light. Even the far corners of the room is lit.
What good would I be, if I did not let a light shine to the world.
I must illuminate the darkness of this world to dispel the darkness.
Is my light illuminating other hearts, is lives caused to blossom and flower, because of my thoughts, speech and conduct?
Am I truly the light of the world.
II Corinthians 3:2-3 "Ye are our epistle written in our
hearts, known and read of all men: Forasmuch as ye are
manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written
not with ink,
but with the spirit of the living God: not in tables of stone, but in fleshly
tables of the heart".
The brethren was known and read of others. What are people reading from us?
The church at Corinth had many problems, yet Paul said that they were an open letter.
They were read constantly by those around and about them.
What is our life saying, what are we teaching in thought, speech, and conduct?
Phil 1:27 "Only let your conversation be as it becometh
the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you,
or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast
in one spirit, with one mind striving
together for the faith of the gospel:
Are we living up to our responsibility?
Ephesians 4:1-3 "I therefore the prisoner of
the lord beseech ye to walk worthily of the calling wherewith you were
called, with all lowliness, meekness with longsuffering forbearing one
another in love giving diligence
to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace
II Peter 1:5-8 "And besides this, giving all diligence,
add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge: and to
knowledge temperance: and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
And to Godliness
brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound,
they make you that ye shall
neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Involvement is the motto of a christian. If I am faithful, then I am working for the Lord.
If I am not working for the Lord, then I can mark it down I am not faithful!
If my life does not count on the positive side of spirituality, it is
on the negative side.
The Bible teaches our personal accountability.
The mission of the church is keeping Christ in the world.
Ephesians 2:9-11 "Not of works, lest any man should
boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus
unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in
in them. Wherefore
remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called
Uncircumcision by
that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands".
It is easy to engage in the use of broad terms and say yes the church
is responsible.
I can then be critical and say the church is not really doing all that
she could for the cause of Christ.
Or I might on occasion in regard to some specific achievement or accomplishment,
say the church really functioned well.
That is too broad. Oh we love the church. Christ died for her.
She is made up of living stones, individual members.
Whatever the responsibility, obligation, and mission of the church,
I personally have a responsibility, and obligation,
before the Lord, for such is taught.
Romans 14:12 "So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God".
Not each congregation, not every group, each one of us will stand before God.
The good accomplished by this congregation will not be directly attributable
to my efforts,
unless of course I have been a functional part in the accomplishment
of that work.
And then far greater than my personal contribution, the sum total of that work will redound unto my salvation.
You see this when the prophet said, they sow to the wind and reap the whirlwind.
This is amplified by Paul in his Corinthian epistle.
II Corinthians 9:6 "But this I say, Hew which south
sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth
bountifully shall reap also bountifully".
We always reap more than we so.
This is an understood agricultural principle. If you didn't
make more than you plant, then just keep what you have,
and save all that work. But the sowing and reaping is multiplied
ten thousand fold.
As a member of a congregation great good is being done, works worthy of being performed.
I am blessed if I have a small part in praying, having interest,
and influence, whether moral, spiritual or financial
all are involved, I have a part in that.
I am glad when people are taught and invited by you and me individually.
Young people and older people all have influence for the master.
This is effectively serving the Lord.
When I stand before the Lord, God will not say, Turner you remember
that little pittance you gave on earth,
those little things you did. Oh yes I will be judged individually.
But my labors with you also count.
If the Lord is forced to say in that day, Turner you weren't interested
you didn't participate,
I don't remember you praying, encouraging others, or praised someone
for their works sake, did you ever
say you loved people.
My work may not be headlines or even in the lowly bulletin. Yet
I am going to be a part of a congregation and
the Lord knows.
No one man does everything.
No one man can stand justified before God because he has accomplished everything on earth that needed to be done.
No, only a infinitesimal, small speck can be wrought by one person for all the world needs in the Lord's mission.
I need to appreciate my responsibility and individual obligation before
the Lord. I will not answer as a congregation
but under these elders. This work or congregation becomes a personal
individual responsibility of mine.
When I stand in judgment, I want the Lord to say about this congregation. Yes you had apart in the efforts.
You were personally involved from the heart out of love for me, and concern for my cause. I want that said.
Sometimes we worship grudgingly, wanting to do something else.
We stay out of services.
This assembly is a privilege God saved for the child of God not given to the world.
Our worship is not serving God its worshipping God.
We serve God when we leave the building, we can only worship God by serving him.
Whether or not we worship God is contingent on our love and desire to serve him.
There is a tremendous power in fellowship and praise in worship.
Christianity is an individual obligation.
Three areas I am responsible for: preparation, presentation, and exemplification
Preparation we must make up our mind to do that which is right and obey the Lord.
Some never move from this area they stay away from sin but they also do nothing.
They have prepared to stand against sin but then they do nothing else for the Lord's church..
We present Christ to others by our life and how we serve him.
Living is how I demonstrate the value of Christianity.
My heart must be properly prepared.
Am I truly concerned about the cause of Christ?
I enjoy seeing a tidy and neat building advertising that Christians worship there in the given community.
When I see a church of Christ on the highway, I go away with an impact on my heart.
I did not even see the church, I saw the building and made a connection for the good they will do in that community.
In every area of life we need to honor him.
I go by denominational churches and see the care of their building, yet they do not present Christ in truth and fidelity.
Tune your life to play to the orchestra of life, don't be a sour note. Tune your life to the truth, God, and brethren.
Present the Christ to the world.
Preach publicly great, but the life is what people see.
If the commitment is not there it will never bear the fruit it should.
Acts 8:4 "And they went everywhere, preaching the word.
They lost many things but they went everywhere preaching the gospel.
We gripe and complain about the mundane. We are more concerned about a headache that the spiritual dearth of the spirit.
We are more concerned about the house in which we live, than the house of God.
We are more concerned about a payment on an automobile, than the church contribution.
This are just factual statements. We must be converted all over.
The world must see us exemplify Christ. Does the world see our faith?
Men will do almost anything, but give of their hard earned income to the Lord.
No don't misunderstand me.
A preacher can talk about giving five times a year and the member will
call him a hobby rider. That is all I have hear
give, give, give.
The same preacher in every sermon can mention baptism and nobody complains that all he preaches on is baptism.
There are 15 times more passages in the Bible which say something about
financial giving and the soul, than
water baptism.
Are people seeing Christ in our lives?
The world sees that which is visible and made manifest.
We need to make a sacrifice as the people of God.
The God who we serve will accomplish the means of accomplishing his will.
If I am committed to his will he will supply my needs.
The question is not what are you doing with the millions you have,
but what are you doing with the ten dollars you have?
II Corinthians 9:6 "But this I say, Hew which soweth sparingly
shall reap also sparingly; and he which south
bountifully shall reap also bountifully".
The pocketbook sometimes is the hardest thing to control in our life.
We need to be committed to Christ in every aspect of life.
Each individual member of the church must work for his kingdom and cause.
CONCLUSION
Are you a faithful member of the body of Christ?
To become a child of God you must obey the gospel.
Believe Jesus to be the son of God, John 8:24
Repent of sins, Acts 2:38
Confess Christ with the mouth, Romans 10:10
Be baptized to be saved, Mark 16:16
Live faithful unto death, Revelation 2:10
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