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Northwest Church of Christ 3904 38th Street NW Canton, Ohio 44718 330-492-5523 Fax: 330-493-7119 |
“Working Together - With God” |
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I. Introduction.
A. For this congregation, this month marks a beginning point.
I’ve presented many lessons from this pulpit over the past
10 ½ years. But, now, there is a difference.1. I’ve often thought back to my days of teaching in
public school. As I approached first day of new
school year, I always had certain nervous feeling.2. Not because I felt unprepared for job I was called
upon to do. Not because I had fear of those I’d be
instructing in that new school year. I knew my
subject and, after some years of teaching, I knew
a good deal about how to do my job.3. But, I also knew something else: How the year
began was of extreme importance. That first day
set a tone for all the days that would follow. I
always wanted to get started right.B. As I assume the role, and great responsibility, of being one
of the ministers for this congregation, I want to set the
proper tone, and to get us started right.1. This congregation has been blessed over years with
a strong pulpit, both at this location, and at the
building on Market Avenue.2. But, today, I don’t want to talk just about myself
and the other leaders who are a part of the Lord’s
body here at Northwest. Want to talk about us,
what we have the right to expect from one another,
and what God has a right to expect from us, as we
work together, with Him, and with His help and
strengthening.C. Prayer.
II. Our Mutual Responsibilities.
A. Congregations, and leaders in congregations, have been
honored, and challenged, by God with the greatest mutual
responsibility in all the world: to work together, with Him,
to bring His message of salvation to a sinful, dying
humanity.1. From the very beginning of the church there has
always been an emphasis on teaching.a. Jesus taught, and trained, selected men to
send them out as evangelists (Mark 3:14:
“Then He appointed twelve, that they might
be with Him and that He might send them
out to preach.”).b. The “Great Commission” was given, to the
disciples of Jesus, as a command, to: “Go
into all the world and preach the gospel to
every creature.” (Mark 16:15).c. The early church worked to fulfill this
command: (Acts 8:4: “Therefore those who
were scattered went everywhere preaching
the word.”).2. This commission, this command, our purpose as
God’s people, remains same today.3. No preacher, or teacher, can properly fulfill this
purpose without the cooperation, and
understanding, of the congregation.4. No congregation can reach toward its potential
without preaching, and teaching, that is in
accordance with God’s word, and speaks to their
needs.5. So, we must support one another, we must edify one
another, we must please God by our obedience to
His word, we must reach out to those who need to
hear, and respond, to that word, for the salvation of
their eternal souls.B. At this beginning point, what do we have the right to expect
from one another?1. As the church, you have the right to expect anyone
who teaches to have a knowledge of God’s word,
and to proclaim sound doctrine, fully and faithfully.a. Apostle Paul addressed his “son in the
faith,” Timothy, and told him: “I charge
you . . . before God and the Lord Jesus
Christ, . . . Preach the word!”
(II Timothy 4:1-2). He addressed Titus and
challenged him to: “. . . speak the things
which are proper for sound doctrine:”
(Titus 2:1).b. To speak of those things which are sound
doctrine, to speak of those things “which
have been fulfilled [are surely believed]
among us,” (Luke 1:1), to withhold nothing
that is good and right, that’s what you
should expect from anyone who stands in
this place, or leads in this congregation.c. One who presumes to teach the Word of
God must be a steward of that word and,
I Corinthians 4:2 says: “Moreover it is
required in stewards that one be found
faithful.”2. There should only be truth, and faithfulness, in
what is taught, but also in how it is taught. You
have a right to expect me, or anyone else, declare
all of God’s word in love, and with a genuine
concern for souls, both in and out of Christ’s body.a. When you look to the example of one of the
greatest of all gospel preachers, Paul, you
see a man who had a deep, abiding concern
for both lost souls, and for his brethren in
the church. (II Corinthians 2:4: “For out of
much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote
to you, with many tears, not that you should
be grieved, but that you might know the love
which I have so abundantly for you.”).b. Those who teach do so out of love for the
Lord, love for the church, love of God’s
word. May we never use pulpit as
instrument of personal power; never use this
public platform as means to humiliate
someone, or shame someone. It is to build
up, not to destroy.c. A church member once told a preacher he
was not being harsh enough in his
preaching. Preacher’s response: “I don’t
feel I must act like I’m glad someone is lost
to lead them to be saved.”3. Third, you have a right to expect the church’s
leadership to make the effort to always practice what we teach.a. There is what a person says, and then what
a person does, and the two should, as much
as is humanly possible, correspond.b. Don’t expect perfection; Romans 3:23:
“. . . all have sinned and fall short of the
glory of God.” I’ll do my best, and I know
others will, too. But, I’ll make mistakes.
That’s where I need your help, and your
understanding.4. I also need your encouragement, and support, to
uphold what is right. Toward one another, we
should practice God’s “golden rule”: (Matt. 7:12:
“. . . whatever you want men to do to you, do also
to them, . . .”).5. I, and others who lead in the church, also have a
right to expect you to have a desire to learn, and to
grow spiritually. No preacher ever had a better
audience than Peter when he visited the household
of Cornelius. Acts 10:33: “Now, therefore, we are
all present before God, to hear all things
commanded you by God.” Have no qualms on this
point.III. What God Expects Of Us.
A. What, then, does God expect of us as His people?
Certainly, expects us to know, and obey, His word. He
expects us all to do the work of the kingdom, and to fill the
roles for which He’s given us abilities. II Corinthians 6:1:
we are “. . . workers together with Him.”B. Raises another point: He expects us to call upon Him, and
rely upon Him, for what we cannot do ourselves. Our
strength is not in ourselves; our success is not of
ourselves – “I can do all things through Christ who
strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). Along with our
efforts – indeed, before our efforts – must come prayer.1. God says “lean on Me”; rely upon Me and not
solely upon yourselves.2. Jeremiah 33:3: “Call to me, and I will answer you,
and show you great and mighty things, which you
do not know.”C. We, together, must honor God with our language, and our
lives. We must worship Him “in Spirit and truth”
(John 4:24). We must serve Him all of our lives. He is the
potter, we are the clay. Let Him mold us, and shape us, and
direct us to be that “. . . chosen generation, a royal
priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people”
(I Peter 2:9).IV. Conclusion.
A. Go back to II Corinthians 5:17 (Re-Read). This little
phrase is the very essence of Christianity. Paul used
expression “in Christ,” or its equivalent, 169 times.1. Paul, here, had just written that if people are
dead, spiritually, that condition can never be
changed, unless that person is “in Christ.”2. “In Christ,” there is new life: all previous sins
are forgiven, the gift of the Holy Spirit is bestowed,
a new and a glorious future begins.3. “In Christ,” old values are rejected, old standards
of conduct no longer apply, old lusts are
“crucified.” Here is where we receive “all spiritual
blessings.” (Ephesians 1:3).B. This new life, and new relationship, to God, carries with it
new responsibilities. As “ambassadors” (verse 20), we
declare the conditions of reconciliation to God to others.1. All that the righteousness of God ever achieved on
earth was, and is, done through Christ.2. If we would share that righteousness, we must do
so “in Christ.” No one can be saved apart from
Christ.C. Believe, repent, confess Christ, be baptized to saving of
your soul. Then, let’s work together with God to advance
the boundaries of His kingdom by demonstrating the power
of the gospel in our lives.