10 For I am with you, and
no one is going to attack and harm you, because

I have many people in this city.”

What effect did these encouragements have on Paul
and his fears?

Acts 18:11 So Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a
half, teaching them the word of God.

If there is one thing that is constant it is that we all
are subject to discouragement. There is no shortage
of discouragements to hinder the work of God is
there? The Bible is full of men of God who at times
became discouraged. And you and I get discouraged
from time to time.

Discouragement is universal. No one is exempt from
the dark cloud it casts over our lives. Great men of

God --David, Job, Jeremiah, and even Jesus --
became discouraged.

Discouragement can take many forms and be caused

by many things.
Family Matters. Possibly a marriage is not working
out as the man and woman had hoped and dreamed
that it would. Children may cause concern and
constant anxiety to parents. There may be illness of
loved ones, financial insecurity, etc.

Moral Failure. In the battle between the flesh and
spirit, many times the flesh keeps winning. One may
have, among other things, a weakness to alcohol,
drugs, sex, pornography, dishonesty or laziness.
When we lose a battle, we lose heart and often
become discouraged.

Spiritual Matters. For example, there are wives or
husbands who try to keep the lamp of faith burning
in spite of the unbelief of a spouse who has no
interest in spiritual things. It could be that one
becomes stagnant in his spiritual growth and his
zeal begins to wane and Christ may not mean as
much as He did or as He should, prayer seems to get
him nowhere, church attendance seems flat and
worship assemblies are boring. Some get
discouraged because their convictions for truth
cause them to be at odds with relatives or friends.
Some may become disappointed in preachers, elders
or other influential Christians because of their
hypocrisy, carnality or apostasy. Discouragement in
spiritual matters may result from a lack of success in
the church in converting the world and building up
the local body.

As shocking as it may seem, faithfulness to God
and His word do not guarantee that one will not
become discouraged. As a matter of fact, the more
one is involved in the work of the Lord, the greater,
at times, his discouragement may be. Those who
endeavor to teach God's truth or live faithfully as a
Christian encounter many and varied
discouragements. What faithful teacher and
Christian has not asked himself at one time or
another, "What's the use?" when his efforts to teach
others and to set a proper example seem not only to
accomplish nothing but also to be unappreciated.
Discouragement also comes to preachers. The pulpit
provides no insulation from it.

We must remember that others before us have had
their disappointments and discouragements also.
Jeremiah was met with almost unimaginable
discouragements.

Jeremiah 9:2 Oh, that I had in the desert a lodging place
for travelers, so that I might leave my people and go away
from them; for they are all adulterers, a crowd of
unfaithful people.

Yet, in spite of all of Jeremiah’s longings to leave, he
stood at his post of duty through the weary years,
faithful to God even to the last.

Jesus and His apostles faced many discouragements.
So must we.

Discouragement may be defined as to deprive of
courage or confidence, to hinder by disfavoring, to

attempt to dissuade; it may also be defined as deep
and sober concern because of real problems. The
person who is never discouraged is of no real value.
The real issues and grim realities of life are too deep
to pretend that nothing is ever bad enough for
heartache and tears.

Discouragement will come. We must know how to

deal with it.
There are three things that I think contributed to
Paul’s discouragement in the ministry.

The Large Strain of the Work.
Paul comes to the largest and most wicked city in
Greece. Sitting high above the city of Corinth was
the temple of Aphrodite, the goddess of love. In
those days those that were wicked in sexual
immorality were called Corinthians. There was so
much work to be done and the largeness of the work
must have been discouraging to Paul.

The Little Success of the Work.

Now we can say that it is required of us to be faithful
and the success is up to God and that is true, but we
all like to see growth and success in the work of the
Lord. And while Paul saw some success he has been
basically ran out of every place he has been
preaching. While he has seen some come to the Lord
he still sees the masses of people rejecting the
truth and that is discouraging.

The Lonely Service of the Work.

Paul had to do a lot of his missionary work alone or
with just one or two at his side. You would think
more would get involved and more would be excited
and more would re-prioritize their lives but alas much
of the time when you travel God’s path it is a lonely
path and that is discouraging.

But I am grateful that while the devil is active in
discouraging us, God is at work to encourage us.
While the devil is trying to drag us down, God is
working to lift us up. While the devil aims at getting
us to quit, God is working to encourage us to keep
up the good fight. When ever the devil opens the
gates of hell to blast us, the Lord opens the
windows of heaven to bless us! And so, here in
Acts18, we are given “Three Encouragements to
Keep Going.”

I. The Partnership Of Friends
Acts 18:1 ...Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. 2 There
he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had
recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because
Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to
see them, 3 and because he was a tentmaker as they were,
he stayed and worked with them. 4 Every Sabbath he
reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and
Greeks.

5 When Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia,

One of the greatest God given encouragements are
friends. It is always tougher if you have to bear your
struggles alone. I do not believe that it is in God’s
design for us to do so.

Paul learned how encouraging the partnership of
friends was. He later writes to the churches in
Galatia; Galatians 6:2 Carry each other’s burdens, and
in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

The writer of Hebrews declares; Hebrews 10:24-25
And let us consider how we may spur one another on
toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting
together, as some are in the habit of doing, but
encouraging one another—and all the more as you see
the Day approaching.

What appropriate words to apply to our lives and
ministries today!

Paul needed someone to help him shoulder the
burdens of the work in the sin sick town of Corinth.
Remember Silas and Timothy are still in Macedonia.
So what does God do? I am sure, nothing we would
do. This is marvelous indeed! Remember; Isaiah 55:8
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,neither are your
ways my ways,” declares the LORD.

God’s ways are not like our ways. God stirs up a little
trouble in Rome. He puts it on the heart of the
Roman Emperor Claudius to expel all Jews from
Rome. Why? Because there is a couple which God
wants Paul to meet.

Given eviction papers Aqulia and his wife Priscilla
come to Corinth. It seems that Aquila and Priscilla
had a tent making business that they set up in town.
Paul just so happened to be a tentmaker and so he
begins to work with Aquila and Priscilla in their
business. This gave him the funds for his support so
that he could go into the synagogue every Sabbath
and reason with the Jews and Greeks for Jesus
Christ.

Acts 18:1 ...Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. 2 There
he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had
recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because
Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to
see them, 3 and because he was a tentmaker as they were,
he stayed and worked with them. 4 Every Sabbath he
reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and
Greeks.

What a blessing Aquila and Priscilla were to Paul.
They became some of his best and closest friends.

Acts 18:5 ... Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia,
Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying
to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ.

God sent Silas and Timothy from Macedonia to
Corinth to reunite with Paul. So God has not only
blessed Paul with two new friends but brought back
to him two familiar friends. I am sure that their
return must have greatly encouraged Paul for the
King James Version puts it this way.

Acts 18:5 KJV And when Silas and Timotheus were come
from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and
testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ.

I think you ought to stand for what is right even if
you have to stand-alone. But I want to add, it is a
whole lot easier to stand for what is right against
the pressure of opposition if there are those who
will support, strengthen and stand with you.
Thank God for friends who God puts in your path and
in your life who will encourage you in the work of the
Lord.

I thank God for those here at the Blooming Grove
Baptist Church who have not only been sheep but
have also been friends. I am grateful because you

don’t know how many times I have been
discouraged and a word here and there has
encouraged me to keep going forward.

II. The Positive Results
Acts 18:5 ... Paul devoted himself exclusively to
preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the
Messiah. 6 But when they opposed Paul and became
abusive, he shook out his clothes in protest and said to
them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent
of it. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”

The apostle Paul had three encouragements to keep
moving forward. The first was the partnership of
friends, the second was the positive results.

7 Then Paul left the synagogue and went next door to the
house of Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. 8 Crispus, the
synagogue leader, and his entire household believed in
the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard Paul
believed and were baptized.

How encouraged Paul must have been when Titius
opened his house for Paul to hold services in! How
encouraging it must have been when Crispus and his
entire household believed. How encouraging it must
have been when many from the city of Corinth gave
themselves heart and soul to Christ Jesus! Oh, how
encouraging it must have been to Paul when those
who believed gave public testimony to their new
found faith through Believer’s Baptism!

In 1782 the puritan minister Charles Simeon was
appointed pastor of Trinity Church in England. But
the people in the congregation did not want Simeon
they wanted Bro. Hammond to be their pastor. But
the Bishop in charge insisted on Simeon as pastor of
the church. The first thing the congregation did in
rebellion was to refuse Simeon to be the afternoon
lecturer. They assigned the afternoon lecture to Bro.
Hammond. And when Bro. Hammond left five years
later they gave it to another man for the next 7
years. Simeon tried to start a later service on
Sunday evenings but the pew holders refused to
come and locked their pew doors so that no one
could sit in their personal pews. So he had to set up
chairs in the isles and in the corners so that those
who came could sit. This went on for 12 years.

The question is what was it that kept Charles
Simeon going forward in the midst of this most
discouraging situation? It was this. While many did
not want him, some did. While many did not come,
some did. While many were unaffected by his
ministry, many were. While much was discouraging,
he saw hope in the situation. Here is what he wrote:

“In this state of things I saw no remedy but faith and
patience. The passage of Scripture which subdued and
controlled my mind was this, ’The servant of the Lord
must not strive.’ It was painful indeed to see the
church, with the exception of the aisles, almost
forsaken; but I thought that if God would only give
a double blessing to the congregation that did
attend, there would on the whole be as much
good done as if the congregation were doubled
and the blessing limited to only half the amount.
This comforted me many, many times, when, without
such a reflection, I should have sunk under my
burden.”

My dear friends, we can either dwell on the
negative and be discouraged or we can
encourage ourselves on the positive results. Look
around you and see, even though many don’t grow
an inch, some have grown. Many of our visitors have
not come back, but some have. Many lost people still
remain lost, but some have trusted in Jesus as their
Savior. The church may remain basically the same
but then again it may take off like wildfire. We can’t
look at what God has not done but we ought to
dwell on all that God has done.

III. The Promises Of God
The apostle Paul had three encouragements to keep
moving forward. The partnership of friends, the
positive results and now we will see, the promises of
God.

While it is true that friends encourage us and
positive results encourage us, the greatest
encouragement of all is the Lord himself.

Acts 18:9 One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision:
“Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. 10
For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and
harm you, because I have many people in this city.” 11 So
Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching
them the word of God.

The Lord speaks to Paul and tells him, Do not be
afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. Don’t stop,
don’t quit, don’t let up, but keep on keeping on.
Don’t shut up, keep showing up!

A PROMISE OF PRESENCE
Then the promise, I am with you. “Paul, there may be
times when Aqulia and Priscilla may not be there. Silas
and Timothy may not be there. There may be no earthy
presence there at all but don’t be afraid to speak up for
I am with you.”

Here is the promise of God’s presence. Oh what an
encouragement it is to have God on your side!
Amen? Hear the Word of God!

God the Father has said; Hebrews 13:5 Keep your lives
free from the love of money and be content with what you
have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you;
never will I forsake you.”

God the Son has said; Matthew 28:20 ... And surely I
am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Jesus has promised that God the Holy Spirit will
always be with you; John 14:16-18 And I will ask the
Father, and he will give you another advocate to help
you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The
world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor
knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and
will be in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will
come to you.

This then is the three fold promise of God the Father,
God the Son and God the Holy Spirit; “You will never
have to go at it alone!”

A PROMISE OF PROTECTION

Another promise was made to Paul, no one is going to
attack and harm you. In this, there is the promise of
divine protection. Not only will God be present but
also he will be there to protect.

Isaiah 43:1-3 But now, this is what the LORD says— he

who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: “Do
not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you
by name; you are mine. When you pass through the
waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the
rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk
through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will
not set you ablaze. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy
One of Israel, your Savior

To be sure, the Corinthians tried tried to harm Paul.

Acts 18:12 While Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the
Jews of Corinth made a united attack on Paul and
brought him to the place of judgment. 13 “This man,”
they charged, “is persuading the people to worship God in
ways contrary to the law.”

14 Just as Paul was about to speak, Gallio said to them,
“If you Jews were making a complaint about some
misdemeanor or serious crime, it would be reasonable for
me to listen to you. 15 But since it involves questions
about words and names and your own law—settle the
matter yourselves. I will not be a judge of such things.” 16
So he drove them off.

What a despicable, sin filled rat hole Corinth was!

Acts 18:17 Then the crowd there turned on Sosthenes the
synagogue leader and beat him in front of the proconsul;
and Gallio showed no concern whatever.

It wasn’t because of any love for Paul or the Gospel
that Paul was saved from a beating himself, it was
because of the promise of God!

A PROMISE OF POWER

There is a third promise here. Not just a promise of
presence, and protection, but a promise of power.
Acts 18:10 For I am with you, and no one is going to
attack and harm you, because I have many people in this
city.”

What did that mean? The promise is not that there
are many people who will protect Paul, but rather
the promise that there were those who were lost
who under the power of the Holy Spirit through
the preaching of Paul would come to know Jesus
as Lord and Savior. There were those who were yet
to be saved by the power of God and God promised
that they would be saved.

Friends are great encouragers and results are
encouraging but when God comes to you and
promises his presence, protection, and power,
you have every reason to keep on going forward!

Have you ever gotten a good fire going? I mean a
really good fire, stumps and logs and branches.
Night time comes and you can’t watch the fire any
more so you begin to water down the fire. You
notice that you can put water directly on the fire and
the embers but the water will not put it out, it keeps
on burning. Why? Because there is more there to
keep it burning than there is to put it out. And
thank God while there is much to discourage us and
cause us to quit, there is much more to encourage
us and cause us to keep going forward.

Can you say “Amen” to that?

Thank God for the Partnership of Friends who
stand with you. Thank God for Positive Results
that give you hope. And thank God for His
promises of presence, protection and power that

keep us moving forward for him.

Gal.6:9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the
proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

January 15th, 2010

Looking at Life from God's point of view

Matthew 16:24-28

We see things not as they are, but as we are.

On April 16, 1858, John Paton and his wife, Mary, set
sail on a voyage which would eventually take them
to the New Heberdies Islands. During his voyage,
there were many opportunities for conversation.
During one of these moments, the captain inquired
where John and his wife were headed. "To the New
Heberdies Islands," was John’s reply. "Why, don't you
know there are Cannibals there?" the captain
exclaimed. To which John replied; "Oh, that's OK;
we've died years ago."

The sea captain, having a heart of sin, could foresee
nothing but danger and sure death. John Paton, on
the other hand, with a heart full of the love of Christ,
saw great opportunities for reaching a lost race of
people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

We see things not as they are, but as we are.

The sea captain, was not looking at life from God's
point of view. There was a time when Peter, one of
Jesus' closest followers, did not look at life from
God's point of view either.

Matt.16:13-18 When Jesus came to the region of
Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people
say the Son of Man is?" They replied, "Some say John the
Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or
one of the prophets."

What Jesus really wanted to know was who they

thought that He was.
"But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"

Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the
living God."

Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for
this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in
heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this
rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will
not overcome it.

Can’t you see proud Peter sticking out his chest? Oh,
he was so very confident in all that he did. Peter
answered Jesus correctly, and now all the other
disciples would know why it was him who should be
the spokesman for the 12!

But Peter, didn’t you hear what Jesus said? You
didn't come up with the answer on your own. The
Father put in your mind what you were to say.
Peter, don’t you remember Deut. 29:29 ? The secret
things belong to the LORD our God, but the thingsrevealed
 belong to us and to our children forever, that we
may follow all the words of this law.

It was Jesus, then, Who revealed one of those
secret things of God to His disciples. We also, today,
will have various responses to what will be revealed
to us from the Father. What is the right response?
What will God be looking for today? Obedience!

Deut. 29:29 ? The secret things belong to the LORD our
God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our
children forever, that we may follow all the words of
this law.

Jesus, next, reveals the reason for His coming to
earth.
Matt. 16:21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to
his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer
many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and
teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the
third day be raised to life.

It was all a part of God’s grand and glorious plan
prophesied hundreds of years earlier.

Isaiah 53:3-6 He was despised and rejected by mankind, a
man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from
whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we
held him in low esteem. Surely he took up our pain and
bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by
God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced
for our transgressions, he was crushed for our
iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was
on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like
sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own
way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Jesus will make it painfully clear when He will say;

Matthew 20:28 ... the Son of Man did not come to be
served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for
many.

Peter had all the right words, but he didn’t have the
right attitude. He was not looking at life from
God's point of view, but from his own.

This was too much for proud Peter to endure. Jesus'
words didn't fit with any of HIS plans. He wanted a
kingdom NOW! One in which HE had a great
position! There were too many things Peter wanted
to do once Jesus was crowned Messiah and King!

Matthew 16:22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke
him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to
you!”

The audacity of Peter, the created one, to tell Jesus,
the Creator, what to do! Did Peter think that his
plans and goals were better than those of the
Creator and Sustainer of the universe? Yet, isn't
that exactly what many of us do daily?! Why are we
so foolish and self centered?

Matt. 16:23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind
me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not
have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."

What a bright light this verse shines on the
situation. Here we see that Peter’s self-will is being
used by Satan in an attempt to defeat the work of
Christ. The apostle Paul will later warn all believers;

Ephesians 4:27 ... do not give the devil a foothold.

Every time we look and act upon our desires rather
than than upon the Lord’s, we are doing just that,
giving the devil an opportunity to use our time, our
talents, our treasures and our resources for his
plans and purposes rather than for God’s.

Jesus is saying "Peter, you're hindering me from
accomplishing the task which I came to earth to carry
out." The way he was doing that, Jesus said, is that
he did not "have in mind the things of God", or that he
was not looking at life from God's point of view,
but from his own.

Peter walked with Christ for some two and a half
years. He heard Jesus teaching, he saw the 9,000
plus miracles, he knew Jesus had a Master Plan of
Evangelism, but yet he was still looking at life from
man's point of view. Like Peter, we have read the
words, we have seen the miracles, we have been
used by the Father, we have known God's will - we
know Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for
you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to
harm you, plans to give you hope and a future and still -
we go on through life with our own plans. It is in
times like this that, like Peter, we too need to be
reminded how we fit into God's great, over all plan
and that God’s ways are not our ways (Isa.55:8).

Each and every one of us have a choice, we can look
at things from our own point of view or from God’s.
When we are looking at life from God’s point of view,
we can become a stepping stone for others to know
and serve the One who created us and has a
marvelous plan for our life and for our eternity. But,
when we look at life from man's point of view, we
are a stumbling block, a hindrance to God's work.

After Jesus exposed Peter's true motives, He went
on to explain how we can view life from His
perspective. This is such a touchy subject that many
preachers prefer not to talk about it. Well, the tippytoeing
is over; let's talk about what we should have
been talking about years ago.

I would like to propose to you, this morning, that we
can evaluate whether or not we have the right
point of view by observing the three contrasts in

Matt.16:24-28.

A. Contrast In Principles
1. Saving You Loose
Matthew 16:24-25 Then Jesus said to his disciples,
“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves
and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants
to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life
for me will find it.

The first contrast is a contrast in principles. we see
this in verse 25. For whoever wants to save his life will
lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.

This principle can be illustrated by considering two
ways to reel in a large fish. You can do what many
people do and as soon as the fish strikes, wildly set
the hook and start winding as if your life depended
upon it. If you do that, and the fish decides to run,
the line will snap and you will lose the fish. Or you
could reel in the fish the correct way. After the hook
has been set, you start reeling it in. With the drag
set to release line under sudden pressure, you stop
reeling when the fish "makes a run for it." When the
fish has stopped and the drag is no longer releasing
any more line, you than begin to reel it in again until
the fish makes another "run." You continue this
process until the fish is worn out. Then you can
simply reach down and bring the fish into the boat.
Unless you are willing to give up some line, you are
going to lose that fish.

This principle is true in the kingdom of God. If you
want to save your life, Jesus tells us, you're
going to have to learn to lose it. Jesus said,

"Trying to save YOUR life and YOUR plans, will only lead
to your loosing it all!"

We can see man's point of view illustrated in the life
of the "rich young ruler." His life is recorded for us in

Mark 10:17-22. As Jesus started on his way, a man ran
up to him and fell on his knees before him. "Good teacher,"
he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" "Whydo you
call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good -except
God alone. You know the commandments: `Do not
murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give
false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and
mother.' " "Teacher," he declared, "all these I have kept
since I was a boy." Jesus looked at him and loved him.
"One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you
have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure
in heaven. Then come, follow me." At this the man's
face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

This was a good man, a moral man, a religious man,
but one thing kept him from inheriting eternal life.
He was looking at life from man's point of view. He
saw all that he owned as his very own. He was
trying to save his treasure, but in saving he was only
going to end up loosing. It wasn't his money that
kept him out of heaven, but his unwillingness to give
to God his all!

2. Loosing You Save
Saving, you lose; losing, you save. Jesus didn't say

"Seek ye first the comfort and the prosperity of man
and his self-righteousness and all these things shall be
added unto you." God's point of view is that all our
righteous deeds amount to a pile of dirty menstrual
cloths in His sight (Isa.64:6). God does not give us
something to DO to be saved, He gave us something
to BELIEVE!

1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the
righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He
was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.

We can not do enough to please God and earn our
salvation. But Jesus has done enough already. All
we need to do is to trust in Him and believe that His
death completely satisfied God's righteous wrath
towards our sin. Our goal and passion, the guiding
principle of our life must be to loose our life in Christ,
for that alone is how we save it. Jesus said; John
12:24,25 I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat
falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed.
But if it dies, it produces many seeds.

The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man
who, in this world, makes it all available for Christ
and His plans, will keep it for eternal life.

There is a principle in agricultural that before a seed
can spring forth in life, it must first die. From what
Jesus said, we know this is also true in the spiritual
realm. Before we can receive eternal life and the
joyous life Christ came to give, we must be willing to
lose our life, die to our self and come alive to God's
plans and to God's purposes. We must give up the
foolish and faulty idea that our religious deeds will
earn us anything in God's favor. It is in losing that
we save. That is God's view. Peter's mind was not
on losing, but it was on saving.

How about you this morning? Which principle are you
truly living by? Saving, you lose or losing, you save?
Are you seeking to save your life and your
possessions by selfishly guarding them or are you
living to lose, spending and being spent for Christ
and His kingdom, out of a heart felt thanks for Christ
Who came to do what we could not do -please a
righteous and a holy God?

B. Contrast In Persons
The first contrast we see is in principles. The second
is a contrast in persons. We see this in Matt. 16:24
Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come
after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and
follow me.

1. Yes To Self
We can say yes to self. Many people are willing to
accept the salvation which Christ has to offer, but
few are willing to allow Him to be their Lord. We do
that by trusting Christ as our Savior but continuing
living for ourselves.

What would you think of a farmer who after planting
his field began to worry about the seeds he planted.
What if he started uncovering those little seeds
because he didn't think they would grow? For what
ever reason, it would be foolish for him to go back
out into the fields and pull those seeds out of the
ground. Saving , he would loose! It would have
been absurd if after hearing the words, "Lazarus,
come forth", and returning from the dead, Lazarus
decided to return to the grave. In the same way, it
is ridiculous for us, if after making a commitment to
lose our life to Christ, we say "yes" to our self and
"no" to our Savior. To do so would be like using an
expensive vase as a garbage can, a totally unfitting
use of a glorious vessel.

2. Yes To The Savior
We can say "yes" to our self or "yes" to the Savior.
Remember Joseph in Potiphar's court? Day after day
he was tempted to sin. But moment after moment

he said "no" to self and "yes" to God. We too need
to realize that our walk with God requires a daily
denial, a saying "no" to our self and "yes" to the
Savior. If we are not daily denying our self we
are not truly following Christ.

Peter wasn't saying "no" to self. He may have been
following Jesus in body, but he was not in soul and
spirit. He was worried about his goals and his plans.
He was thinking of his loss of power, position and
prestige in the kingdom of Christ, not of God and His
great plan of redemption for all man kind. He
allowed his desires to come between him and God's
plans for Christ.

How serious an issue is this? If Peter had his way,
Christ would not have gone to the cross, we
would still be in our sins, our faith would be in
vain, those who have already died are in hell,
and we would be facing a Christless eternity in
Hell. We would be of all people most to be pitied.

Often we find ourselves looking at life from man's
point of view, saying "yes" to self rather than "yes"
to the Savior. We can only be devoted to one.
Which has your devotion today?

C. Contrast In Profits
Looking at life from God's point, we have seen two
contrasts so far -a contrast in principles and a
contrast in persons. Last we see a contrast in
profits.

Matt. 16:26,27 Jesus said; What good will it be for a man
if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or
what can a man give in exchange for his soul? For the
Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his
angels, and then he will reward each person according to
what he has done.

When you are looking to make an investment, you
will find different percentage rates depending upon
the terms of your investment. The more risk you are
willing to take, the higher the rate of return will
generally be. As we look at our text this morning,
we see that there are different interests depending
upon the terms of our investment.

1. Earthly Gain
First we see that there are earthly gains available.
The motto of the world is "He who dies with the most
toys wins!" We can strive and work through this life
trying to gain as much material wealth as we can,
but Jesus had a few words to say in regards to
storing up our treasures here on this earth.

Matt. 6:19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on
earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves
break in and steal.

What did Jesus say would be the ultimate result of
our earthly gain? Three words; "moth", "rust", and
"thieves." How do you like that prospectus? If those
are odds you are willing to take you are a fool just
like the rich young ruler, no matter how much or how
little you may own! The question is not "How much
you may own”, but “how much owns you"? What
good will it do if you gain the whole world and in the
process lose your own soul?

2. Heavenly Gain
In contrast to this, Jesus said we should seek for
heavenly gain.

Matt. 6:20,21 But store up for yourselves treasures in
heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where
thieves do not break in and steal. For where yourtreasure is, there your heart will be also.

Where are your treasures today? You can tell very
easily by examining where you affections are.

How can we store up treasures in heaven? By using
out time, our talent, our treasures here on this earth
for God and for His purposes. When we commit our
life to Christ, we gather together all that we are and
have. We say, "God, all that I am, all that I have,
all that I ever will be and ever will have I commit
to You unconditionally to be used for Your
purposes as You see fit." As we make that
commitment to God, as we turn over to Him
everything that we have and are, God takes those
treasures, those talents that we have and He gives
them back to us and says, "Thank you for
committing these to Me. I am now going to
return them to you with the understanding that
what I am giving back to you still belongs to me,
and you are to manage them with my interests
in mind."

Do you hesitate making such a commitment? Let me
remind you of the words of the apostle Paul;

1Cor. 6:19,20 Do you not know that your body is a
temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have
received from God? You are not your own; you were
bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

My friend, which are you investing in today; joy,
blessings, and the Gospel of eternal salvation in
heaven, or moths, rust, thieves, and eternal
damnation in Hell? The choice is yours to make.
Check with your CSA, your certified spiritual
accountant, the Holy Spirit. Which profits does He
certify will be yours?

In conclusion, we must ask ourselves this morning
Are we living by the right principle, losing our life
for Christ's sake? Are we following the right
person, daily saying "no" to ourselves and "yes" to
our Savior? Are we concerned about gaining the
right profit? Are we managing our resources with
Christ's profit in mind? Peter was a stumbling block
to Jesus. Perhaps you too are an obstacle to what
Christ wants to accomplish in this church, this
community and the world?

As I draw this message to a close, I ask you to
picture Jesus standing before us. As he stands here,
He says;

Matt. 16:24 ...If anyone would come after me, he must
deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

Now He is slowly turning and walking out the door.
There He goes..... What is your response this very
moment? Don't delay! What will it be? Is that the
last you will see of Him? Or are you already on your
way out the door with Him?

What you will do with this message and with Christ's
words this morning will depend on whether or not
you are looking at life from God's point of view or
from your own.

We see things not as they are, but as we are.
Are you looking at life from God’s point of view?
Make the Commitment....

Dear Lord Jesus:
I now enter into a covenant to seek you with all my
heart and soul.

All
that I am,
All
that I have,
All
that I ever will be and
All
I ever will have, I give to you.
Absolutely, unconditionally, now and forever!

Romans 12:1,2

Now Lord Jesus hold me to it.

your name and date
There is nothing in your life — sin, sickness,
addictions, afflictions, whatever! — that Jesus cannot
overcome. He is "Lord of all", so let Him be Lord in
your life over every area that needs His touch.

Acts 10:36 You know the message God sent to the people
of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through
Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.

WHAT IS JESUS LORD OF?

•• If Jesus is "Lord of all", then He is is Lord over sin
and sickness.

JESUS IS LORD OVER SIN

Matthew 9

1 Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his
own town. 2 Some men brought to him a paralyzed man,
lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the
man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”

3 At this, some of the teachers of the law said to
themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!”

4 Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you
entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? 5 Which is easier:
to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and
walk’? 6 But I want you to know that the Son of Man
has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the
paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” 7
Then the man got up and went home. 8 When the crowd
saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God,

who had given such authority to man.
Sin — Is there some area in which you can’t seem to
get victory?
Jesus is Lord over sin —

• He overcame every temptation in His own life.
• Then He conquered sin at the cross for us.
• He has authority to forgive our sins.
• Come to His throne of grace for help and victory.
JESUS IS LORD OVER SICKNESS

Matthew 8

1 When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large
crowds followed him. 2 A man with leprosy[The Greek
word traditionally translated leprosy was used for
various diseases affecting the skin.] came and knelt
before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can
make me clean.”

3 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am
willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was
cleansed of his leprosy. 4 Then Jesus said to him, “See
that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the
priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a
testimony to them.”

• Jesus is Lord over infertility ... Lord over paralysis
... Lord over (fill in your need for healing).
• That’s why we pray for the sick in every church
service. The "Lord of all", Jesus, who conquered both
sin and sickness, is present to heal.
•• If Jesus is "Lord of all", then not only is He Lord
over sin and sickness, but also over space and
satan!

JESUS IS LORD OVER SPACE

Matthew 8:23-27

23 Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed
him. 24 Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so
that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was
sleeping. 25 The disciples went and woke him, saying,
“Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”

26 He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?”
Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves,
and it was completely calm.

27 The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man
is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”

• Jesus is Lord over His creation. He walked on
water, He cursed the fig tree, He multiplied the
loaves and fish. And He healed the sick.
•• The One with all authority in heaven and on earth
can calm any raging storms you are going through.

• Feel like you're in a furious squall?
• Do you feel nearly swamped?
•• Ask the Lord of all to say to your storm, “Be still!”

JESUS IS LORD OVER SATAN

Matthew 8:28-34

28 When he arrived at the other side in the region of the
Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the
tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could
pass that way. 29 “What do you want with us, Son of
God?” they shouted. “Have you come here to torture us
before the appointed time?”

30 Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was
feeding. 31 The demons begged Jesus, “If you drive us out,
send us into the herd of pigs.”

32 He said to them, “Go!” So they came out and went
into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the
steep bank into the lake and died in the water. 33
Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and
reported all this, including what had happened to the
demon-possessed men. 34 Then the whole town went out
to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with
him to leave their region.

•• Is the devil harassing you? vexing you? fighting
you? disheartening you? opposing you without a
letup?

• Jesus is Lord over the devil. The demons begged
Him for mercy.

• 2,000 demons had to obey His single word, “GO!”
•• Walk side by side with Jesus, and watch the
devils flee.

• Let Him say on your behalf, “Get thee hence,
Satan!”
No matter what problem or situation you face, Jesus
is Lord over it!

Matthew 28:18-20
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in
heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I
have commanded you. And surely I am with you always,
to the very end of the age.”

The One who has all authority in the universe is with
you today...and every day.

• Have a broken heart? — Jesus has power to “heal
the brokenhearted.”
Isaiah 611 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,

because the LORD has anointed me

to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,

to proclaim freedom for the captives

and release from darkness for the prisoners,

• And He is with you to ...
• Facing a great obstacle? Jesus has power to move
mountains!
Luke 17

1 Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to
stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through
whom they come. 2 It would be better for them to be
thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their
neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble. 3 So
watch yourselves.

 “If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them;
and if they repent, forgive them. 4 Even if they sin
against you seven times in a day and seven times come
back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.”

5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”

6 He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard
seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted
and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.

7 “Suppose one of you has a servant plowing or looking
after the sheep. Will he say to the servant when he comes
in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? 8
Won’t he rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself
ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you
may eat and drink’? 9 Will he thank the servant because
he did what he was told to do? 10 So you also, when you
have done everything you were told to do, should say,
‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our
duty.’”

FAITH IS AN OBEDIENCE ISSUE!

• Ask the "Lord of all" to be Lord over your obstacle.
• Facing financial difficulties? Work hard, and let
Jesus be the solution to and Lord over your need.
Hebrews 4:15-16 For we do not have a high priest who is
unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have
one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are —
yet was without sin. [16] Let us then approach the
throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive
mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

•• Jesus sympathizes with your weakness, your
need, your problem, your struggle.

• He is Lord over all that you can bring to Him.
• Come boldly to His throne of grace (KJV).
• Seek His help in your time of need.
• Whatever your need is, He is Lord over it!
Romans 10:9 ...if you confess with your mouth, “JESUS
IS LORD,” and believe in your heart that God raised him
from the dead, you will be SAVED.

• Lord over how much of your life's problems and
needs? — Jesus Christ ... is LORD OF ALL (Acts 10:36).
Why should you live for Christ
and not for yourself?

COMMITMENT

A certain man wanted to sell his house for $100,000.
Another man wanted very badly to buy it, but
because he was poor, he couldn’t afford the full
price. After much bargaining, the owner agreed to
sell the house for half the original price with just one
stipulation: he would retain ownership of one small
nail protruding from just over the door.

After several years, the original owner wanted the
house back, but the new owner was unwilling to sell.
So first the owner went out, found the carcass of a
dead dog, and hung it from the nail he still owned.
soon the house became unlivable, and the family
was forced to sell the house to the owner of the nail.

If we leave the Devil with even one small peg in our
life, he will return to hang his rotting garbage on it,
making it unfit for Christ’s habitation.

Jesus ... alone ... is Lord!

Why should you live for Jesus Christ and not for
yourself? Because Jesus, alone, is Lord of all.

That’s what Easter Sunday tells us.

Where is Moses today?
Where is Muhammad today?
Where is Mary Baker Eddy today?
Where is Budda today?
Where is Joseph Smith today?
Where is Confucius today?
Where is Charles Taze Russell today?
Where is Zoroaster today?
Where is Siddhartha Gautama today?
Where is L. Ron Hubbard today?

The central figures of these and all other religions
are still in their graves.

Acts 10:36 You know the message God sent to the people
of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus
Christ, who is Lord of all.

Rom. 10:12 For there is no difference between Jew and
Gentile --the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses
all who call on him.

Why should you live for Jesus Christ and not for
yourself? Because Jesus, alone, is Lord of all.

Your life is a vapor.

Why should you live for Jesus Christ and not for
yourself? Because your life is a vapor.

James 4:13-17 Now listen, you who say, "Today or
tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year
there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do
not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your
life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and
then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the
Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." As it is, you
boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. Anyone, then,
who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins.

What is the symbolism saying abour our lives?

Only one life so soon it will pass,
Only what’s done for Christ will last!

Why should you live for Jesus Christ? Because your
life is a vapor.

You have been bought with a price.

Why should you live for Jesus Christ and not for
yourself? Because you have been bought with a
price.

1Cor. 6:19,20 Do you not know that your body is a
temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have
received from God? You are not your own; you were
bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

What is your body?
Why?
How?
What is the consequence?
Why is our life not our own to do with as we please.
Who’s properte and posession are we?
SO What?

Why should you live for Jesus Christ and not for
yourself? Because you have been bought with a
price.

God deserves nothing but your best.

Why should you live for Jesus Christ and not for
yourself? Because God deserves nothing but the
best from us.

What is the best we could give to God?

Col. 3:17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed,
do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to
God the Father through him.

Give of your best to the Master,
Give of the strength of your youth.
Clad in salvation’s full armor,
Enter the battle for Truth.

Why should you live for Jesus Christ and not for
yourself? Because God deserves nothing but the
best from us.

It’s what is expected of you.

Why should you live for Jesus Christ and not for
yourself? Because Jesus, alone, is Lord of all.

Rom. 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of
God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy
and pleasing to God --this is your spiritual act of worship
(your reasonable service). 2 Do not conform any longer
to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the
renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and
approve what God's will is --his good, pleasing and perfect
will.

It’s the way of greatest joy and blessing.

Why should you live for Jesus Christ and not for
yourself? Because Jesus, alone, is Lord of all.

There is joy in serving Jesus as we travel on life’s way.
There is joy that’s overflowing, every hour and every
day.
There is joy, joy, joy in serving Jesus,
Joy that flows within my heart.
Every hour and every day.
As we travel on life’s way.
There is joy, joy, joy that never will depart.

Living for Jesus
A life that is true.

It’s how God directs us

Why should you live for Jesus Christ
yourself? Because Jesus, alone, is Lord of all.

Gen. 24:27 saying, "Praise be to the LORD, the God of my
master Abraham, who has not abandoned his kindness
and faithfulness to my master. As for me, the LORD has
led me on the journey to the house of my master's
relatives."

KJV -I being in the way, the Lord led me ...

The way to know God’s will is to do God’s will!
When we are not in God’s will we can expect nothing
but discipline and loss of joy.

It is the path to the greatest purpose and power.

January 8th, 2012

A Place To Belong

As members of God’s family, we have a place to
belong. The Living Bible puts it this way;

Eph. 2:19 You are members of God’s very own family,
citizens of god’s country, and you belong in God’s
household with every other Christian.

Let me read that last line again, you belong in God’s
household with every other Christian. Here we see
the undeniable, indisputable, irrevocable and
unchanging truth, that each and every one of us are

CALLED TO BELONG, NOT JUST BELIEVE!

Even in the perfect environment of the Garden of
Eden, God said, ...It is not good for the man to be alone...
(Gen. 2:18).

The fact is, we are created for community, fashioned
for fellowship, formed for a family, and none of us can
fulfill God’s purposes by ourselves. That is why Jesus
built the church - a place to belong.

The Bible knows nothing of solitary saints, or spiritual
hermits isolated from other believers and deprived of
fellowship. The Bible says we are put together, joined
together, built together, heirs together, fitted
together, and one day soon, PRAISE GOD, we will be
caught up together! My friend, as a Christian, you are
not on your own anymore!

While your relationship to Christ is personal, God
never intends it to be private. That is what Baptism
is all about, a public announcement of a private faith.
That is also what the church is about. In God’s family
you are connected to every other believer, and we
will belong to each other for eternity. The Bible
declares, Romans 12:4-5 Just as each of us has one body
with many members, and these members do not all have
the same function, so in Christ we who are many form
one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

So we see that following Christ includes belonging,
not just believing. God does not intend for you to try
to make it your own, but for you to make a
commitment to belong some where.

We are members of Christ’s Body - the Church. The
word membership is of Christian origin, but I am
afraid that the world has striped it of its original
meaning. Stores offer discounts to “members,” and
advertisers use member names to create mailing
lists. In churches, membership is often reduced to
simply adding your name to a roll, with no
requirements or expectations.

To the apostle Paul, being a “member” of the church
meant being a vital organ of a living body, an
indispensable, interconnected part of the Body of Christ

(Rom12:4,5;1Cor6:15;12:12-27).

1 Cor. 12:12 The body is a unit, though it is made up of
many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form
one body. So it is with Christ. ... 27 Now you are the body
of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

We need to recover and practice the Biblical meaning
of membership. The Church is a body, not a building;
an organism, not an organization.

For the organs of your body to fulfill their purpose,
they must be connected to your body. If they are
surgically removed or lost through trauma they
cannot function as they were designed to and your
body becomes dysfunctional! The same is true for
you as a part of Christ’s Body. You were created
for a specific role, but you will miss this purpose
of your life if you’re not attached to a living, local
church. You discover your role in life through your
relationship with others.

What will happen if an organ is somehow severed
from its body? It will shrivel up and die. Why?
Because it cannot exist on its own, and neither can
you. Disconnected and cut off from the lifeblood of a
local body of believers, your spiritual life will wither
and eventually cease to exist.

Ephesians 4:16 From him (in Christ) the whole body,
joined and held together by every supporting ligament
(you and me), grows and builds itself up in love, as each
part (you and me) does its work.

This is why the first symptom of spiritual decline is
usually inconsistent attendance at worship services
and other gatherings of believers. Whenever we
become careless about fellowship, everything else
will begin to slide as well. This is why we are
admonished,

Hebr. 10:24,25 And let us consider how we may spur one
another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give
up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing,
but let us encourage one another --and all the more as you
see the Day approaching.

Membership in the family of God is neither
inconsequential nor something to be casually
ignored. The Church is God’s agenda for the world.

Jesus Christ died to give His life for the Church. He
shed His blood to make the Church His Bride. He is
one day returning for the church. The Church is His
plan and the path of greatest growth and blessing.
Jesus said, Matt. 16:18 ... I will build my church, and
the gates of Hades will not overcome it. The Church is
indestructible and will exist for eternity. It will
outlive this universe, and so will your role in it. The
person who says, “I don’t need the Church,” is either
arrogant or ignorant. The Church is so significant that
Jesus died on the Cross for it. Eph. 5:25 ... Christ
loved the church and gave himself up for her

The Bible calls the Church the Body of Christ and the
Bride of Christ (2 Cor.11:2;Eph.5:27; Rev.19:7). Can
you imagine someone saying to Jesus, “I love you,
but I don’t like your wife.” Or “I accept You, but I
reject your Body.” But isn’t this what we do whenever
we dismiss, demean or complain about the Church?
Instead, God commands us to love the Church as
much as Jesus does. The Bible says, 1Pet.2:17... Love
the brotherhood of believers...

Life in the local fellowship

Except for a few important instances referring to all
believers throughout history, almost every time the
word church is used in the Bible it refers to a visible
congregation in a local geographical area. The New
Testament assumes that believers will become
members in a local congregation. The only Christians
who were not members of a local fellowship were
those under church discipline who had been
removed from the fellowship because of gross public
sin. 1 Cor. 5:1-6; 2 Thess.3:14; Titus 3:10

The Bible says a Christian without a church home is
like an organ without a body, a sheep without a flock,
or a child without a family. It is an unnatural state.
The Bible says, Eph. 2:19 ...you are no longer foreigners
and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and
members of God's household.

Today’s culture of independent individualism has
created many spiritual orphans, “bunny believers”
who hop around from one church to another without
any identity, accountability, or commitment. Many
believe one can be a “good Christian” without joining
(or even attending) a local church, but I believe that
God strongly disagrees. The Bible offers many
compelling reasons for being committed and active in
a local fellowship.

WHY YOU NEED A CHURCH FAMILY

1. A church family identifies you as a genuine
believer.
A good reason for being committed and active in a
local fellowship is that a church family identifies
you as a genuine believer.

I can’t claim to be following Christ if I’m not
committed to any specific group of disciples. Jesus
said, John 13:35 By this all men will know that you are
my disciples, if you love one another."

When we come together in love as a church family
from different backgrounds, race, and social status, it
is a powerful witness to the world (Gal.3:28;
Jn.17:21). You are not the Body of Christ on your
own, only a part of the Body. You need to make a
public commitment to others to express that.

Together, not separated, we are His Body (1Cor.12:27).

A church family identifies you as a genuine believer.

2. A church family moves you out of self-centered
isolation.
A second reason for being committed and active in a
local fellowship is a church family moves you out
of self-centered isolation.

The local church is the classroom for learning how to
get along in God’s family. It is a lab for practicing
unselfish, sympathetic love. We are to come to
fellowship, not wearing a bib and saying “feed me,”
we are to come wearing an apron and saying, “How
can I serve?”

As an actively participating member you learn to care
about others and share the experiences of others:

1Cor. 12:26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it;
if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

It’s only in regular contact with ordinary, imperfect
believers that we can learn real fellowship and
experience the New Testament truth of being
connected and dependent on each other (Eph.4:16;
Rom. 12:4,5; Col. 2:19; 1 Cor 12:25). Even the comfort
we receive from Christ during times of trouble is
intended by God to be shared with the rest of the
Body.

2 Corinthians 1:3,4 Praise be to the God and Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the
God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so
that we can comfort those in any trouble with the
comfort we ourselves receive from God.

Biblical fellowship is being as committed to each
other as we are to Jesus Christ. God expects us to
give our lives for each other. Many Christians who
know John 3:16 are unaware of 1John 3:16 This is
how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life
for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our
brothers. This is the kind of sacrificial love which God
fully expects you to show towards other believers -
a willingness to love them in the same way that
Jesus loves you. And how can you say you love your
brothers and sisters in Christ in this way, yet refuse
to care enough to commit yourself to membership in
a local church?

1 Peter 4:7-9 The end of all things is near. Therefore be
clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray.
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers
over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another
without grumbling.

A church family moves you out of self-centered
isolation.

3. A church family helps you to develop spiritual
muscle.
A third reason for being committed and active in a
local fellowship is a church family helps you to
develop spiritual muscle.

You will never grow to maturity just by attending
worship services and being a passive spectator. It’s
only active participation in the full life of a local church
which builds spiritual muscle. The Bible says, Eph.

4:16 From him the whole body, joined and held together
by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up
in love, as each part does its work.

Over fifty times in the New Testament the phrase
“one another” or “each other” is used. We are
commanded to love each other, pray for each other,
encourage each other, admonish each other, greet each
other, serve each other, teach each other, accept each
other, honor each other, bear each other’s burdens,
forgive each other, submit to each other, be devoted to
each other, and many other mutual tasks. This is
what biblical church membership involves! These are
your “family responsibilities” that God expects you to
fulfill through a local fellowship.

It may seem easier to be holy when no one else is
around to frustrate your preferences, but that is a
false, untested holiness. Isolation breeds deceitfulness;
it’s easy to fool ourselves into thinking we are
mature if there’s no one to challenge us. Real
maturity shows up in relationships.

We need more than Bible doctrine in order to grow;
we need other believers.

Proverbs 27:17 As iron sharpens iron, so one man
sharpens another.

We grow faster, become sharper and stronger by
learning from each other and being accountable to
one another.

A church family helps you to develop spiritual
muscle.

4. The Body of Christ needs you.
A fourth reason for being committed and active in a
local fellowship is the Body of Christ needs you.

God has a unique roll for you to play in His family.
This is called your “ministry,” and God has gifted you
for this assignment: 1Cor. 12:7 Now to each one the
manifestation of the Spirit (a spiritual gift) is given for
the common good.

Your local fellowship is the place God designed for
you to discover, develop, and use the gifts God has
given you for the benefit of His church. But you
can’t unless you are doing your part of the work
(Eph. 4:16). God’s plan may be for you to have a
wider ministry, but that is only in addition to your
service in a local body.

A fourth reason for being committed and active in a
local fellowship is the Body of Christ needs you.

5. You will share in Christ’s mission in the world.
A fifth reason for being committed and active in a
local fellowship is that by doing so you will share in
Christ’s mission in the world.

When Jesus walked on the earth, God worked
through the physical body of Christ; today God uses
Jesus’ spiritual body. The church is God’s instrument
on earth. We are not just to model God’s love by
loving each other; we are to carry His love, together,
to the rest of the world. This is an incredible
privilege we have been given together. As members
of Christ’s body, we are His hands, His feet, His
eyes, and His heart. He works through us in the
world. We each have a contribution to make. Paul
tells us, Eph.2:10 For we are God's workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God
prepared in advance for us to do.

By being committed and active in a local fellowship
you will share in Christ’s mission in the world.

6. A church family will help keep you from
backsliding.
A sixth reason for being committed and active in a
local fellowship is that a church family will help
keep you from backsliding.

There is not a one of us who is immune to
temptation. Given the right situation, you and I are
capable of any sin (1cor.10:12; Jer.17:9; 1Tim.1:19).
God knows this, so He has assigned us, as
individuals, the responsibility of keeping each other
on track. The Bible says, Hebr. 3:13 But encourage
one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that
none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.

“Mind your own business” is not a Christian phrase.
We are called and commanded to be involved in each
other’s lives. If you know someone who is wavering
spiritually right now, it’s your responsibility to go
after them and bring them back into the fellowship.
James tells us, James 5:19,20 My brothers, if one of
you should wander from the truth and someone should
bring him back remember this: Whoever turns a sinner
from the error of his way will save him from death and
cover over a multitude of sins.

A church family will help keep you from backsliding.

A related benefit of a local church is that it also
provides the spiritual protection of godly leaders.
God gives shepherd leaders the responsibility to
guard, protect, defend, and care for the spiritual
welfare of His flock (Acts 20:28,29; 1Peter 5:1-4; Heb.

13:7,17). We are told, Hebr. 13:17 Obey your leaders
and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you
as men who must give an account. Obey them so that
their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of
no advantage to you.

Satan loves believers who are detached and
unplugged from the life of the Body, isolated from
God’s family, and unaccountable to spiritual leaders,
because He knows that they are defenseless and
powerless against his tactics.

IT’S ALL IN THE CHURCH

Being a part of a local church is essential to living a
healthy life. God designed His church specifically to
help you fulfill the purposes He has for your life. He
created the church to meet your deepest needs: a
purpose to live for, people to live with, principles to
live by, a profession to live out, and power to live on.
There is no other place on earth where you can find
all five of these benefits in one place. You won’t find
it at the club, the hall or the organization, but only in
the living and the growing organism called the
church, the local Body of Christ!

God’s purposes for His church are identical to His five
purposes for you. Worship helps you focus on God;
fellowship helps you face life’s problems;
discipleship helps fortify your faith; ministry helps
find your talents; evangelism helps fulfill your
mission. There is nothing else on earth like the
Church!

YOUR CHOICE

Whenever a child is born, he or she automatically

becomes a part of the universal family of human
beings. But that child also needs to become a
member of a specific family to receive nurture and
care and grow up healthy and strong. The same is
true spiritually. When you were born again, you
automatically became a part of God’s universal
family, but you also need to become a member of a
local expression of God’s family.

The difference between being a church attender
and a church member is COMMITMENT. Attenders
are spectators from the sidelines; members get
involved in the ministry. Attenders are consumers;
members are contributors. Attenders come wearing
bibs, members come wearing aprons. Attenders
want the benefits of a church without sharing the
responsibility. They are like couples who want the
benefits of living together without the commitment of
marriage.

Why is it important to join a local church family?
Because it proves you are committed to your
spiritual brothers and sisters in reality, not just in
theory. God wants you to love real people, not ideal
people. You can spend a lifetime searching for the
perfect church, but you will never find it. The Church
is not a hotel for saints, it is a hospital for sinners.
You are called to love imperfect saints who
occasionally sin, just as God does.

In Acts, the Christians in Jerusalem were very
specific in their commitment to each other. They
were devoted! The Bible says, Acts 2:42 Theydevoted
themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the
fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. God
expects us to commit to the public practice of the
same things today.

The Christian life is more than just commitment to
Christ; it includes a commitment to other Christians.
The Christians in Macedonia understood this. Paul
said, 2Cor. 8:5 ... they gave themselves first to the Lord
and then to us in keeping with God's will.

Becoming a part of the family is the first step in
finding a place to belong. We become a part of God’s
forever family, not by doing something but by
believing something!

John 1:12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who
believed in his name, he gave the right to become children
of God

Romans 10:9-10 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is
Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from
the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that
you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth
that you profess your faith and are saved.

If you have never done so before, won’t you make a
personal profession of Jesus Christ as your living
Lord and Savior? Pray this prayer;

Dear God, I come to you now, admitting that I am a
sinner. I’m sorry for my sin. With Your help, I’m
willing to turn from it. I believe Jesus Christ died
for me and arose from the dead. I receive Him into
my heart by faith. I want Him to have control of
my life, from this moment on. I ask this in Jesus’

Name, Amen.

Joining the membership of a local church is the
natural next step once you’ve become a part of
God’s family. You become a Christian by committing
yourself to Christ, but you become a church member
by committing yourself to a specific group of believers.
The first decision brings salvation; the second brings
fellowship.

What is God saying to me?
What am I going to do about it?

Why Join The Church?

“Why should I join the church?” is a question asked
often. “Why can’t I just attend, receive the good that
God has for me and not become formally involved as a
member?” “What value is there in church
membership?” These are honest and sincere
questions which need to be answered!

Those of you who are members, please don’t “zone
out” on me this morning. Listen and remember why
you joined the Blooming Grove Baptist Church.
Examine yourself and see if you are faithfully fulfilling
your sacred duty.

May our Lord give each one of you wisdom, grace
and courage as you carefully and prayerfully consider
these questions. Open your heart to the Spirit of
God. If Jesus Christ is your Savior and Lord, simply
be open to Him. Simply obey whatever He is calling
you to do and become whatever He is calling you to
be.

What is the Church?

The church is not a building but it is the people of
God, disciples of Jesus Christ. It is not an
organization but an organism - a functioning body of
which Christ is the head!

1 Corinthians 12:12-14 For as the body is one, and hath
many members, and all the members of that one body,
being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one
Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be
Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have
been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not
one member, but many.

The Universal Church derives its definition from the
baptizing ministry of the Holy Spirit. The key passage
on this is verse 13; by one Spirit we are all baptized
(not a drop of water here! baptizo = to place, dip,
plunge) into one body." We see from this passage that
the church is like the physical manifestation of Christ,
i.e., his body.

Other passages which use the same imagery are
Rom. 12:4-5;1Cor.12:11,18,27. The point in all of these
passages seems to be that anyone who has been
born again by the Holy Spirit of God is automatically
a member of the universal Church which is the body
of Christ.

That’s what the Church is all about! Being the heart,
the hands, and the feet of Christ to the world
around us. It is not a hotel for saints, but a hospital
for sinners. Not a group of perfect people, not an
organization of folks who hope that some how their
“religious” works will please a righteous and a holy
God, but a family of God’s true children who are
helping and encouraging one another to become
what God has created them to be! No wonder we
should so seriously consider becoming a part of the
local Church! It’s not man’s idea; it’s God’s!

“Can’t I be a Christian without joining the local Church?” Yes,
the thief on the cross didn’t have time to be baptized
or join the Jerusalem Baptist Church, but Jesus still
told Him; ... today you will be with me in paradise (Luke
23:43). But being a Christian without joining the
church is something like being:

A soldier who won’t join an army.

A salesman with no customers.
An explorer with no base camp.
A seaman on a ship without a crew.
A businessman on a deserted island.
An author without readers.
A tuba player without an orchestra.
A scientist who doesn’t share his findings.
A football player without a team.
A politician who is a hermit.

In the early Church, a person who became a new
creature in Christ was simply expected to become
involved in Christ’s Body -the Church. The visible
Church is a gathered community of worshiping
saints who are making disciples of Jesus Christ
where ever they go. Jesus never established any
institution except the Church.

The Bible explains that Christ is the head of the
Church. Under His headship come a plurality of godly
Pastors and Elders who lead and instruct those who
serve. They are assisted in this work of the Lord by
Deacons, and that’s the definition of the Church.

Acts 2:41 Those who accepted his message were baptized,
and about three thousand were added to their number
that day.

Acts 2:47 ... And the Lord added to their number dailythose who were being saved.

Acts 5:14 ... more and more men and women believed in
the Lord and were added to their number.

These passages imply that there was some place
where they were being added. Some one must have
been keeping a list of who was in the flock.

The Local church

That there were local churches, a geographical
expression of the universal body of Christ, can be
seen from Scripture.

Acts 20:17 From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the

elders of the church.
Rom. 1:7 To all in Rome who are loved by God and called
saints...

1Cor. 1:2 To the church of God in Corinth...
Gal. 1:2 ...To the churches in Galatia:
Phil. 1:1 ...To all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi...

On and on it goes. The Local church is a group of
individuals who regularly gather in a given
locality for worship, instruction, fellowship and
extension (Acts 2:42-47).

Justin Marytr, in First Apology, written in 67AD, wrote
of the local church; “There is a gathering together in
the same place of all who live in a given city or rural
district.”

“Why should I join the Church?”

1. To become a participant
The first reason I will suggest for joining the local
church is that God has called each and every one of
His children to a life of active discipleship, not just
the clergy. He has asked each of us to leave our
“comfort zone” and follow Him -to become a
participant in His work and not merely a spectator.
This can be seen most clearly in the gospel of Mark.

Mark 8:34 Then he called the crowd to him along with
his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he
must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

There is no biblical basis for spectatorship. We are
all called to involvement! Are you involved? If not,
why not?

2. To enjoy the sense of belonging
All born-again believers need to join the church in
order to enjoy a sense of belonging. We need to
love and to be loved. We desperately need not to
be “outsiders” looking in on God’s family, but rather
be “insiders” belonging to Christ’s body and
functioning as Body members.

Eph. 2:19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners
and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and
members of God's household.

Praise God, through Jesus Christ we belong together!

As we study the book of Acts, we see that the early
church had a sense of community, they felt a sense
of belonging. We all have this need whether we
understand it or not. This is why men and women go
to bars, join clubs, lodges, fraternities, groups and
organizations; they want to belong. It should be in
the local church that we find this sense of belonging,
because that’s where the Family meets.

I received a letter a few years ago from which I
would like to read just a small portion.

As a brief introduction I called you almost 2 weeks ago

about visiting your church and related to you a
summary of a previous visit during the summer. You
were surprised that we were not warmly greeted at
that time ... You were most friendly and encouraging
over the phone so we decided to visit once again. ...
We visited this Sunday with high hopes based upon our
conversation. I was astounded to find that once again
we were simply totally ignored by your people. ... Not a
person in the congregation acknowledged that we even
existed. No one in front of me, no one behind me, no
one next to me, not the people I bumped into in the
aisle said one single word to either of us! ... We left
crushed, hurt and frustrated. ... all we wanted was
for someone somewhere to say ‘Hi, how are you,
we are really happy you came today, you from
around here? My name is John and this is my
wife, have you met Sue and Don over here?’ ...
No one, NO ONE, not one single person acknowledged
that we existed and it hurt very deeply ... twice now.
... I wish it were different for we do need a
spiritual body in which we can worship and
fellowship.

I wish I could say that I made this letter up for the
message, but I didn’t. What was the writer of this
letter saying? He was expressing what I believe is
the heart cry of many; that he desperately wants to
belong somewhere. That “somewhere” should be in
the local church. What am I doing, what are you
going to do to see that this never happens again?

3. To be identified
All born-again believers need to join the church to be
identified. Becoming a member of a local church is to
be identified with Jesus Christ as your personal
Savior and Lord: the Head of the Church, His Body!

Colossians 1:17-18 And he is before all things, and by
him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the
church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead;
that in all things he might have the preeminence.

Such identification declares to all the world, “I have
decided to follow Jesus as I surrender to His control of
my life!”

4. To “Live Out” my life as a Disciple
All born-again believers need to join the church to
live out their life as a disciple of Jesus Christ.

Both Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12 speak very
graphically about the fact that each person who is a
new creature in Christ becomes a member of the
Body. If this is to become functional, it can only take
place when believers make the commitment to
become involved in a local church fellowship.

The biblical picture of the Body is that all the
members belong not only to God but to one another.
They are related to one another. When one member
hurts, all the Body hurts.When one member rejoices,
all the Body rejoices! To be a disciple of Christ
involves being a part of His Body -the Church and
relating to other believers within the Body. This
seems not to be an option - but an imperative!

Just as each part of our physical body has a specific
function in the operation of the whole, so also the
Body of Christ is dependent upon its individual parts
living and working in interdependence upon each
other. Eph. 4:7&16 But to each one of us grace has been

given as Christ apportioned it. ... From him the whole
body, joined and held together by every supportingligament,grows
and builds itself up in love,as each partdoes its work.
If you are saved by the blood of Christ,

if you are a part of the Body of Christ, you have a
specific function to perform within the local Church!

If you worship with us, if God has placed you in the
Body of Christ, He fully expects you to be adding
to the health and the functioning of this local
church. And I believe that the most effective way
you can do that is as a member. We need you! You
need us! Without your participation we are a
disabled and a dysfunctional Body.

Don’t be like a set of old false teeth, in and out of
the body without ever being a part of it. Join
yourself to a local fellowship of believers (as
imperfect as it may be) and commit yourself to
being a functioning, growing part of that body!
When you don’t you’re saying “I don’t need the rest
of the body” and by doing so you are cutting yourself
off from your God designed, God sustained, God
empowered avenue of ministry. You have been gifted
by God for the edification and the growth of the local
Church, not for your own benefit.

1 Corinthians 12:21 The eye cannot say to the hand, "I
don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I
don't need you!" ... 25 ... there should be no division in the
body, but that its parts should have equal concern for
each other.

5. To help determine ministries and leadership
All born-again believers need to join the church to
help determine ministries and leadership. I see this
reason as the most practical one.

Do you want to have a say in the affairs of this
church? It’s only by being a member that you can
have a vote in determining the priorities and the
future course of this local church’s ministry. Without
membership, you have no say in the direction,
priorities, policy, leadership, or the stewardship of
this church’s resources.

6. To give and not just receive
All born-again believers need to join the church to

give and not just receive.
Jesus stated that He has called us not only to be
ministered unto, but to minister to others. He taught
that the goal of His disciples should not be to “get”
but should rather be to “give.” We were saved to
serve! So when we come to church, we ought to be
wearing an apron and saying “How can I serve?”
rather than a bib and saying “Feed me!”

“Agape” love is concerned about giving! Jesus called
us to lovingly serve Him and one another. He has
given each of us gifts with which we can do this.
These gifts are to be used not for our own
gratification but in service to others and the church.

1Pet.4:10 Each one should use whatever gift he has
received to serve others, faithfully administering God's
grace in its various forms.

I believe it is immoral for a believer to sit in a church
pew and merely “take” week after week, never
giving in return. This conduct assures one of
becoming a stagnant “Dead Sea.” To the contrary, if

life is to be a joyous adventure of following Jesus
Christ as Lord, giving is an imperative! As we give
and serve others, God continually fills our lives with
His love and with the fruit of the Spirit. Becoming
involved in a local church should say, “I want to be
more than a stagnant pond! I want to be a flowing
river of God’s Grace by ministering to and sharing with
others.”

7. To grow and mature
All born-again believers need to join the church to
grow and mature.

In Eph. 4:11-16, Paul shares a very practical model
for personal growth and maturing. In short, He
instructs us that the key to personal growth is to
be functioning as a member of the Body of Christ

-the Church! Christians do not mature in isolation.
Members of Christ’s Body contribute to the growth of
each other. Only when each member of the Body is
functioning does personal and corporate growth
occur. You can never become the person which God
desires you to become without being related to
other Christians within Christ’s Church.
8. To fellowship
All born-again believers need to join the church to
fellowship with others.

Koinonia or “fellowship” is one of the exciting fringe
benefits of Christian discipleship. In fact, we read in
Scripture that fellowship was a priority in the early
Church.

Acts 2:42 They devoted themselves to the apostles'teaching
 and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

Fellowship is not just eating together, it’s the
sharing of life and the encouraging of other
believers.

Hebrews 10:24-25 And let 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.

This in-depth relationship is very difficult to enjoy
without being an active member of a local
Body.Unfortunately, people often feel like “outsiders”
looking in at the fellowship rather than “insiders”
and “participants” enjoying this deep communion of
the saints. I believe that our Lord wants all of His
disciples to enjoy the wonderful gift of fellowship.

9. To be responsible and accountable
All born-again believers need to join the church to be
responsible and accountable.

With the privileges of the Christian life come
responsibilities. All of us need Christian brothers
and sisters -not only for fellowship but for
accountability. We need loving friends who care
enough to confront us when we begin to miss out on
the marvelous grace of God.

The Scripture declares Submit to one another out of
reverence for Christ (Eph. 5:21). I have found life to
be most meaningful when I am accountable to a
group of fellow Christians who love me and who
want God’s best for me! This should be one of the
great joys of church membership. Without this

accountability we are open to doctrinal error. Each of
us need accountability to keep us from wrong
interpretation and falty application of Scripture.

So, there are what I consider to be nine good
reasons all born-again believers need to join a local

church, the visible manifestation of Christ in a
geographical region.
All of these reasons for joining the local Church

assumes that you are a believer and have a desire
to obey Jesus Christ. The bottom line is do you love
Christ and His people? If you do, I believe that you
will want to join yourself to a local body of believers.

The decision is yours

Without apology, I would like to invite you, today, to
prayerfully consider becoming an active member of
this local church. However, I will not pressure you to
make a decision to join this Body of Christ as a
participating, sharing, caring, giving, loving member.
Neither will our Lord force you into this vital
relationship. He lovingly invites you, but the decision
is yours!

Jesus Christ died to give His life for the Church. He
shed His blood to make the Church His Bride. He is
one day returning for the church. It’s His plan and
the path of greatest growth and blessing. He invites
you to become involved as you follow Him as your
Savior and Lord.

I believe that you need the Church. But the Church
also needs you. This local body needs you! Christ’s
Body, in Blooming Grove, can never be what God
wants it to be until every follower of Jesus in this
area becomes an active, contributing member. All of
the Church will suffer if you choose not to become
involved. You are needed!

May our Lord give you wisdom, grace and courage as
you carefully and prayerfully consider this important
step of more fully sharing your life and special
abilities. For then God’s people will be equipped to do
better work for Him, building up the Church, the Body of
Christ, to a position of strength and maturity! (Eph.
4:12).

.
What is God saying to me?
.
What am I going to do about it?
This local Baptist church is independent of a
denomination. The decisions made are the result of
the majority vote at church business meetings
consisting of members from this local geographic
area.

Any person professing faith in Jesus Christ as
personal Lord and Savior, who is in accord with the
faith and practices held by this church, and
Statement of Faith, may be admitted to membership.

Members are expected to be faithful in all spiritual
duties essential to the Christian life, to attend
regularly the services of this church, to give regularly
for its support and benevolence, and to share in its
organized work.

If you would prayerfully consider joining this
fellowship, pick up a copy of the Articles Of
Incorporation and By-Laws as you leave. Let me
know of your desire to join and I will meet with you
privately, after which you will meet with the deacon
board. Upon recommendation of the deacon board
your name will be submitted for membership at a
church business meeting and voted upon. With the
outcome of a positive vote, you will be received into
the fellowship at the following Sundays worship
service.

If you have any questions at all, please talk with me
afterwards or e-mail me.

Let’s pray.

December 25th, 2011

A Trustworthy Saying

1Tim. 1:15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves
full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save

sinners --of whom I am the worst.

Let’s ask God to unfold this verse
might gain light and understanding.

Here is a trustworthy saying

for us that we

Who can you really trust these days?
You know you can count on your undertaker; he’s
going to be the last person to let you down!