Delivered on July 10, 2016

Acts 2:42-47 ( NIV ) Fellowship Of The Believers
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

It’s been said that the church is like a family. I’ve always wondered about this because some of the families I know don’t function all that well. In fact, there were times when I was growing up that I wasn’t the best brother to my sisters, or even the best son to my parents. And then, Jesus comes along and teaches us how we are to function as a church, as a family of believers. Having that fellowship the God desires among His children.

Let us take a look at how the “Early Church”, was able to make this type of fellowship possible. As we go through these verses, lets us spend this time in Acts 2:42-47. I want you to notice the first part of verse 42: “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship…” The Greek word fellowship means to “share something in common.” The rest of the passage fleshes out this concept as we learn that they were “all together” (verse 44), they met together in the temple courts (verse 46), and they ate together. This are something that we still do, like what i had mentioned last week, food is never a problem, we love to meet and eat.

Take a look at verses 44-45: “All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.” Of course...the last last part of this verse is something that many churches do not do anymore “selling their possessions”, but we do keep a church bank account where we get from our tithing, and offerings, to use as needed among the saints. That is why we have our monthly meetings to see if there is a need to be meet, or see if God wants us to move in a certain direction. Meaning, what or where does He want the Fil-Am Baptist Church to be. 
“All the believers were together and had everything in common”, Now...we may all believe in one thing, and that is our belief in Christ, we we’re all baptized under one baptism, that is the One the thing we have in common. But, we all function differently. What i mean is, some are more open, nicer, friendlier, some are more active on the needs of the church, and some are not. And that is okay,..God created you and i differently.

To grow in faith and to fulfill the mission Jesus has given us, we must regularly gather together for instruction, encouragement, and most importantly in prayer. God never calls any Christian to a solitary life of faith.
Even though we’re all different, it is God that made us that way.

You and I were created for a community. That’s why our topic today is so important. You and i were made to have godly relationships, to serve one another, to share the things that we have, to build Christ into the lives of the people around us, to have a type of relationship where you can entrust the secrets of your hearts to one another and to laugh, praise, pray and cry with others. Many if, not all, ( I’m hoping all ) experience that each and every time that we meet. 

Now... here’s a weird truth about you and I. While we long for fellowship, we also run from it. It has been said that when humankind fell from grace, we inherited not only a tendency to hide from God, but a tendency to hide from one another as well. We struggle with conflicting desires. On the one hand, we desire to be close to one another, and on the other, we want to hold others at arm’s length. We have learned to be suspicious of other people’s motives. Simply because there was a time when we got hurt, disappointed, and at times we’ve been taken advantage of and we fear being burned again and so we live inside barriers. These barriers effectively insulate us from one another, and becomes difficult to have a true fellowship in the Church.

Jesus prayed for you and i as mentioned in...

John 17:20-21
20 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.


But for this to happen, many barriers have to fall down. Suspicion has to be replaced with openness, uncertainty has to be replaced with willingness, and fear has to be replaced with love. On the day of Pentecost, that is precisely what happened.. the barriers came falling down. The Holy Spirit of God moved in and produced a wonderful unity in that first group of believers.  

Our text today describes the extent of that unity as it existed at the very beginning. For a while, they were allowed to live in the glorious oneness which only the Spirit can produce. I believe this sense of community can be recaptured today when we allow Christ to be Lord, and surrender to the leading of the Holy Spirit in our personal lives. 

Now...i truly believe, that Fil-Am baptist church, is a church of unity. We are not perfect, but what church is? We are in no way close in comparison to the early church, but i know that God is still working in us, and He will never fail. I also know that God is doing great things in our small church, and will continue to do so, as long as we follow His lead.

Acts 4:32-35
32 Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. 33 And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all. 34 Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, 35 and laid them at the apostles’ feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need.

These verses gives us an inside look at how the church cared for each other, having fellowship among believers. In this passage, we’ll see 3 different degrees of their unity they had a mystical unity, a ministerial unity, and a material unity. We’ll also discover three timeless principles that can help us experience that same depth of unity today.

As we look at this passage of Scripture before us, let’s see what kind of community the  Holy Spirit produced in this young church and what kind of community He can produce for the Fil-Am Baptist Church. Let’s begin by looking at 4:32: “All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had.”
When the Holy Spirit of God took charge of the lives of these believers on the day of Pentecost.  1) He produced a mystical unity among them. In the first part of verse 32, we read that the believers were of one heart and mind. They were experiencing a oneness, a unity which they could never have produced on their own. Mystical meaning the Holy Spirit. The diverse multitude that had gathered from all nations and tongues had been melted together by divine love into a union which was mystical in nature and divine in origin. Those things, which before had divided them, being different, now faded away into insignificance. They had met the Lord. They were together and they were one.

Notice the three words mentioned in the first part of this verse: “believers,” “heart”, and “mind.” Without these three, having fellowship would be hard to accomplish. Unity was evident in these three areas. It was a unity of faith, “without faith, it is impossible to please God”, a unity of emotions, and a unity of will. Notice that the "believers" were one. They were one with each other because they believed the same thing. They had placed their faith in Jesus and now were attempting to live out that faith. What type of faith? Faith that is aimed only to please God. Again...There can be no fellowship, without correct belief.

1 John 1:7
7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

It is only as we walk in the light of the truth of God’s Word that we can enjoy true fellowship with one another. A common faith unites you and I. They were not only united by their faith, they were also united in heart.Their faith had brought them together and now their every desire was to follow Jesus Christ. They desired to express His love and to share that love with every human being they met. What had begun in faith had made its way to their hearts. They not only believed it intellectually and accepted it by faith, but they knew it to be true experience. Because of the love of Jesus for them, they had fallen in love with Him; and along with Him, every other believer as well.  

They could express the love and care and concern for one another freely and openly. The barriers had fallen down and they were one...one in faith and one in heart. 

But they were also one in mind. The mind has to do with our decision making processes. They not only believed the same things, and had a desire to follow Jesus, they made a decision to do so together in community with one another. They decided to follow through on what had happened to them. They were willing to acknowledge Jesus as their Lord and Savior, and all the other believers as their family. If we, as the Church that belongs to Jesus Christ, ( Fil-Am Baptist Church )are ever going to express the unity of the Spirit, we must not only desire to do so, we must decide to do so. 

They had made this decision and they declared it publicly. It says, in the last part of verse 32, "No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had." They acknowledged to one another that they were one. They said, "What’s mine is yours; what’s yours is mine. We’re together in this thing." That indeed is a powerful acknowledgment of unity. Only God could do this. This was a Spiritual unity something born of God, begun by the Holy Spirit and carried on in His power.

Is it possible to have this same kind of unity today? I believe it is. But it’s something which can only be done by the power of the Spirit of God working in the hearts of people committed to Him. People who truly belong to Him. We can experience this kind of unity when we yield to the Holy Spirit to produce it in us. Yield in total submission to the Creator. Now...let me give you a principle based on the fact that we have been united mystically by the Holy Spirit. If we want to experience what the early church did, then we must value community over isolation. The early church wanted to be together. They wanted to be connected with one another.

Do you value fellowship over isolation? Are you committed to your brothers and sisters here? Even when they do stuff you don’t like? When you’re hurting, are you willing to swallow your pride and talk to a brother or sister about it? Are you available to have someone else confide in you, or have you effectively isolated yourself from others? Now...keep in mind, sin is what separated our relationship from our God. And sin, will still be the reason we break fellowship with one another. Even in the early church, they had to deal with sin.

Acts 5:1-6
5 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. 2 And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles’ feet. 3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? 4 While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.” 5 Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard these things. 6 And the young men arose and wrapped him up, carried him out, and buried him.

“And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it”, Total opposite of what we have read from the previous verse right? Acts 2:45 “They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need”. The value was not the issue here, it was the lie! Ananias withholds part of the sale price while claiming to contribute it all. Now...Ananias and his wife have the right to keep it all, all the proceeds from their land, since the land and the money was theirs. Their sin was their deception. They tried to deceive the church. “why has Satan filled your heart to lie” v3, and also v4
“You have not lied to men but to God.” Peter tells Ananias, that he has lied to God, by lying to the church. Another opposite of being in unity, having one thing in common. Sin broke our fellowship with our God, sin breaks the fellowship in our homes, sin breaks the fellowship in the church. Same fate came upon his wife Sapphira...

Acts 5:8-11
8 And Peter answered her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much?”
She said, “Yes, for so much.” 9 Then Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” 10 Then immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. And the young men came in and found her dead, and carrying her out, buried her by her husband. 11 So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things.

The instantaneous, divinely inflicted death of Ananias and Sapphira are not typical of the judgments mentioned in the New Testaments. There were deaths caused by illness due to sinning. The temporary blinding of Saul, who we know best as Paul. Some of the Corinth church suffered illness and even death for abusing the Lords Supper. But more typically in our time, Christ’s church maintains its purity among the fellowship of believers, by orderly process of church discipline, leading if necessary, to excommunication of the member who is caught and proven to be sinning.
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That quote says it all, cant really argue with it much if it was true. But we all know that, we will all stand in front of God one day and give an account for all that we’ve done. 

Now...There is nothing quite like a church that is united in Gods purpose. If we want what the early church had, then we must value what God has started in us. Keeping the fellowship among believers, by being obedient to Gods commands. In this area of unity and purpose, it is so vitally important that we understand our place of decision. We should always be lead by the Holy Spirits power, and not by our emotions. We need everyone on board, pulling together, sharing the load. We must decide to do so. It really goes back to the word devoted in Acts 2:42 “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer”.

We need to be completely committed and sold-out to the fellowship. We must decide that we are going to give more than our spare time to the endeavor, that we will be supportive, involved, active participants in the task God has called us to.

Fil-Am Church, what happened in the life of the early Church can also happen to us. We can be filled with the Spirit’s power, united in one vision, united in one purpose, united in our love and concern for one another. We can become people who make a difference in this world, if we are people in whose lives Christ has made a difference. We can enjoy the unity of the Spirit, the power of God, and effective ministry as we allow Christ to live His life through us.

Lastly, I will end with this quote from Charles Spurgeon...

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Let us not forget why we were saved, let us not be conformed to the ways of the world, and let us continue in the path that God has already set before us. Then and only then, can we be a church, like the “Early Church” which was called to do Gods will and be a church that is pleasing in His sight. Amen!!!

Delivered on July 3, 2016

John 15:12-16
12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. 14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. 

Loving one another is no new commandment from the Lord as some translation has put it. In fact, the command to love was mentioned in the Old Testament...Leviticus 19-18, teaches Gods people to “love your neighbor as yourselves”. The new element is the change from “neighbor to one another”. And a change from “yourselves, to as I have loved you”. Christian love has Christs sacrificial love as its model, and the community of believers as the primary, though by no means exclusive just for the church, but on how we are even to non believers. Or else, how will they see Jesus in you and me?

“while we were still sinners, Christ died for us”. (Rom 5:8) The test of friendship in Christ, as mentioned in this verse, is done in obedience. The Greek term translated for “friends”, could be rendered as “beloved ones”. Since it is related to a Greek verb, meaning “love”. Everything that we are is done out of The Fathers love. “For God so loved the world, that He gave us His only Son”. And because of that love we were saved.

Jesus earlier used the analogy of a master’s relationship to servants to characterize His relationship to His disciples. “Friends” suggests a closer relationship than that of a servant. Meaning a closer relationship, and the language of a brotherhood. Belonging to a family.

“for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain”.


Jesus does not want any of us to lead unproductive, or unfocused lives. He chose you not only for salvation, but also to play a role in His kingdom. Jesus wants each of us to fulfill a particular purpose. Why were you called, and what is your duty in Gods Kingdom?

Titus 1:1-4
1 Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect and the acknowledgment of the truth which accords with godliness, 2 in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began, 3 but has in due time manifested His word through preaching, which was committed to me according to the commandment of God our Savior; 4 To Titus, a true son in our common faith:
Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior.

Paul, a “bondservant of God” in other translation, Paul would call himself a “slave of God”. Regardless of which translation you choose, it all falls to one who is by... and by who serves God. Paul mentions, “acknowledgment of the truth which accords to godliness”. Which also lines up with our previous verse where Jesus said... “for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you”. 

The goal of Paul’s apostleship is faith in Christ, which is grounded in knowledge and leads to godly living on the part of being Gods elect.. Paul does not simply desire to convey information, but to see God’s people to grow in godliness through a believing reception of the Truth he proclaims. “Gods Truth”. Paul will note that, the appearing of Gods grace in Christ trains believers to renounce evil passions and live godly lives, devoted to good works...God’s work! The question still remains...why were you called, what is your duty in Gods kingdom?

For those who are children of God there are many benefits we are provided with salvation and eternal life. We have a relationship with the Father. We are adopted into the family of God. We are joint heirs with Jesus. We have a home in Heaven and we have the opportunity for an abundant life while we are here on earth. Those are just a few of the benefits of being a child of God. 

But God did not just save you and i,to keep us from Hell! He did not redeem us simply to give us a home in Heaven! Our ultimate purpose in this life is to bring honor and glory to our Heavenly Father. If that is true in your life? And it should be if you call yourself a christian. Then it is safe to say that you were saved to serve! Hence the term, “called for a purpose”.

If you look at the life in ministry of the Apostles it becomes clear that Jesus had a plan for them. Yes, they received many benefits from following the Savior. But they were called, commanded and commissioned to share the Gospel for the remainder of their lives. 

In our selected text we find that this was not just the case for the original Apostles. It is the case for everyone who is "in Christ". Which includes you and i. I would like to look at the first four verses of Paul's epistle to Titus and see that we are called to serve. In this passage we see that  1.Paul was saved to serve 2. Titus was saved to serve 3.You were saved to serve. Let's begin in verse 1 and see that. (Read Titus again) ....As you can see as mentioned in these verses...Paul, an apostle, was saved. God speaking of His elect before time began, and to Titus a true son in the faith. Scripture is clear, and all to be true!

In the beginning of the churches,there were not many people who were feared more than a man named Saul of Tarsus. He was a devout Jew... a self described "Pharisee of Pharisees". He spent his days persecuting Christians and seeking the complete destruction of the Church. When Stephen was stoned to death, Saul was there consenting unto his death. What Saul of Tarsus did not know was that God had chosen him for a specific task. If you still remember, from our responsive reading which says... “all the days ordained for me was written in your book, before one of them came to be”. He would soon become one of the greatest leaders & missionaries in this church that he fought so hard to destroy.

Paul refers to Himself as a "servant of God". The Greek word is "doulos", meaning a slave. Paul proclaims that his life was no longer his own. He belonged to God and his Savior Jesus Christ. How did this happen? What brought about this transformation? Back in Acts Chapter 9, this great persecutor had an encounter with the Savior. Saul was headed to Damascus with the intentions of bringing Christians bound back to Jerusalem in order to persecute them. There on Damascus Road, Jesus appeared to Saul and changed his life forever! 
Each and every believer should have their own “Road To Damascus”, story. Which in term we use the word “Testimony”.

Why did Jesus confront Saul? It was not to give the churches rest from their persecution, though this was one of the results. The reason is seen in...

Acts 9:15
15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. 

Paul was saved to serve! And serve He did! In fact, millions of people all over the world are still benefiting from his service. This was two thousand years ago, many are still learning from this letter, which includes you and i. After he was called, Paul spent the remainder of his life serving Jesus Christ. Let's examine that for a moment. Consider Paul’s ministry, an Apostle speaks of "one who is sent". Specifically one who is hand picked by Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself chose 12 men and entrusted them with the organization of the Church and the proclamation of the gospel. We know that Judas betrayed Jesus and eventually killed himself. I believe it is evident that his position was filled by none other than the Apostle Paul. Yes! We all know the famous casting of lots story between Justus and Mathias, and the lot fell on Matthias. Now...keep in mind, if you are familiar with the story, casting lots was an Old Testament tradition, which they have used to decide on who will take the place of Judas, which around that time, they have not yet received the Holy Spirit. Paul was chosen by Jesus Himself, and by men, not by chance. ( No lot casting for Paul ) Remember what i said in one of our bible studies...You are either called to be a Pharoah or Judas, or your called to be a child of God. Either way, you are called for a purpose. Whether you bow to Jesus now, or you bow to Jesus in hell. Either way, you will bow to the King!

1 Corinthians 15:8
8 Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.
1 Corinthians 15:8 ( NIV )
8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.

The Corinthian church held Paul in low esteem, being born prematurely, meaning that they were not talking about physical birth here, but by how Paul was chosen by God. Unlike the twelve, including Mathias, the one who replaced Judas. Paul did not experience any association with Jesus in His earthly ministry. Paul did not spend three years with Jesus, unlike the twelve.
We can all relate to Paul, we weren’t there, we never walked Jesus. But, same thing with the world we live in now. If you are not properly trained in scriptures, meaning, if you never attended seminary, you’re least qualified. But the fact still remains, if you are called by God, who are we to say no!

Listen...everything we need to learn about God, comes from above. Yes! we have the bible, but without revelation from above, its only a book. Without the Holy Spirit, who will teach us all things. We would not understand! “The person without the Spirit, cannot accept the things of the Spirit” Paul went to many areas preaching the Word. He established new churches and strengthened others. Many souls came to Christ because of his ministry. Many others matured in the faith as well! But Paul didn't just preach... he also suffered! He was constantly arrested and imprisoned. He was beaten, stoned and eventually gave his life for the cause of Christ. He faced all of these hardships willingly. Why? Because he knew that he was called to serve. He was chosen by God, for His purpose. Let me ask you, what is your duty in Gods kingdom?

Are you using the gifts that God has given you? Are you being obedient to your calling?

1 Peter 4:10-11 (NIV)
10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

Every believers ministry exists only because of Gods grace, hence... “being saved”. As do spiritual gifts that comes from above. Realistic assessment of one’s gift, being sober minded, and lead by the Spirit, is essential and involves a recognition of the one’s measure of faith. As Paul used the analogy of the body as mentioned in (1 Cor 12) and its various parts to illustrate the nature of the church. Paul stresses, its unity, its diversity, and the need to recognize one’s gift and to use it eagerly and appropriately to serve God, and service to others.



Paul & Titus were very different men with very different backgrounds. But they both came to Jesus the same way and for the same purpose. If you are born again, you were saved the same way that they were. And if you are saved you have an obligation to serve the Lord! Now, serving the Lord, and serving others, does not have to be in a church setting. If you are a parent, guess what, disciple your children, you dont even have to go far, they are right in front of you. You can be a prayer warrior, and pray for the saints while you’re at home. Internet is available to everyone, be an online evangelist. Let God direct you on what He has already prepared in advance.

Adrian Rodgers, a Pastor, Author and president of the Southern Baptist Convention in the late 70’s and early 80’s said that... "many church members come down the aisle of the church, get baptized, then come Sunday after Sunday and just sit, soak, and sour. God did not call you to sit, soak and sour...HE CALLED YOU TO SERVE!"

So...What does God want from His people? Scripture makes it clear, the cost of being a disciple...

In Luke 14 a large crowd was assembled before Jesus. As He addressed this crowd He revealed the requirements of discipleship. There were many people following Jesus, but many were following for the wrong reasons. Some wanted to see the miracles. Some desired a healing of their own. Some hoped that Jesus would overthrow Rome and establish God's Kingdom. As Jesus preached to that crowd the number of followers began to thin out. What was this radical message that caused people to cease from following Him?

Luke 14:25-27
25 Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. 27 And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. 

Jesus is not demanding that we hate our family members in the conventional sense of hatred. Rather through this shocking overstatement, Jesus teaches that being His disciple means loving so unreservedly that all other love seems hatred by comparison. Keep in mind that “God is a jealous God, who’s name is jealous”. 
Nothing should come first, when it comes to our relationship with Him. Here’s another one...

Luke 9:62
62 But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

In other words, Jesus was laying out some absolute requirements for discipleship. Yes...God wants you to be delivered from your sins. Yes... God wants to rescue you from the torments of Hell. Yes... God wants to have a personal relationship with Him. Yes... God wants you to spend eternity with Him in Heaven. But ultimately God wants you to be a disciple of Christ! If you are saved, you were saved to serve! Of course, every believer has a different level of spiritual maturity. There’s the new born babies, the youth, and the mature. But in every believer these last two sets of verses that we just read, the conditions still remains the same. If you are a disciple, you belong to Him. ( Jesus ) And there is no turning back. ( Read Luke 9:62 )

Consider for a moment the difference between a convert and a disciple - Converts are believers who live like the world. Disciples are believers who live like Jesus. Converts are focused on their values, interests, worries, fears, priorities, and lifestyles. Disciples are focused on Jesus. Converts go to church. Disciples are the church. Converts are involved in the mission of Jesus. Disciples are committed to it. Converts cheer from the sidelines. Disciples are in the game. Converts hear the word of God. Disciples live it. Converts follow the rules. Disciples follow Jesus. Converts are all about believing. Disciples are all about being. Converts are comfortable. Disciples make sacrifices. Converts talk. Disciples make more disciples. Each and every disciple has a role in Gods kingdom. Let me ask you again. What is your role?

We often use the term "inactive church member" to describe those who have quit attending church. Sometimes we refer to those who attend but simply fill a spot on the pew as "inactive". But there is no such thing as an "inactive church member". You are either building up the church or tearing it down. Like i have mentioned last week, “satan is joining the church, only to tear it down”. I am thankful that everyone of you is equipped enough to see the difference. We are seeing some amazing things take place in our assembly. Can you imagine how much more we could do if we have more faithful servants? Now...here are some hard realities that we need to face...

Are you faithful to the Kingdom work? If you have a position in the church, are you devoted to it? Can others depend on you to carry out your responsibilities faithfully? If you neglect your responsibilities you are not only letting the church down...you are not only letting your brothers and sisters in Christ down....you are saying to your Lord that serving Him is not as important as whatever is keeping you from doing your duty! There is a job for you to do! You and i are “Called To Duty” We are called for His purpose!

If you believe that you were saved to serve say amen!!! If you really believe that, then you must acknowledge the fact that if you are not serving, you are either rebelling, being prideful or you are not saved! You are either obeying the command of Christ, or you are still taking ownership of your life. You were never crucified with Christ!



                         Lastly:

I will end this message with a promise, and a warning from the Lord.

Revelation 22:12-15
12 “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
14 “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. 15 Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
 
Paul was saved to serve, Titus was save to serve, The Apostles, and disciples after them were saved to serve. You and i, were saved to serve. 

If you are not saved, you can be today! I would love to tell you more of Gods saving grace. Surrender your heart and life to Christ. Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Him! And when you do, you too will find that YOU ARE SAVED TO SERVE!