Saved To Serve

 

 

 

 

 

"For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. ⁷ For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline."

II Timothy 1:6-7

 

 

Good Morning my beloved,

 

Welcome to worship this Lord's day!

We're so glad to have all of you here. Welcome to all of our beloved brothers and sisters, from all around the world.

 

There are many Christians today, or dare I say most, that give the impression that their primary purpose in life is to stifle any joy that a believer may express. They suppress any expression of joy to the extent that you would believe that were they to smile their face would crack. Though these impoverished souls often laugh, they have no real sense of joy. God has begun a wonderful work in your life, salvation through Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit starting you on a journey that will lead to transformation into the image of His Son, why in the world stifle it? And why keep someone else from rejoicing in it? What a blessing it is to acknowledge the majesty, the power, the beauty, and the liberty that the presence of God imparts to the believer, giving a sense of reality and vitality to a life of service.

 

When we come together and the service begins with the recognition of the presence of God, somehow all of our human problems start to pale. We begin to put them in the right perspective. God and His creation of the world, what we are doing with our lives, who we are, how we are intended to function, all of these things, begin to take on increased significance in our eyes when we come to church. That is what a Christ centered church service is about. Worshiping God, fellowshiping with our brothers and sisters in Christ, praying with and for one another.

 

I am aware that many Christians today, think that they do not need to come to church,  they feel as though they can worship God just as well at home, working in the garden, through televangelism. Some think they can do it while on the golf course. And, I agree, there is a certain degree of validity to that, God is certainly not found only in church building. However, there is also a reason why Hebrews 10:23-25 tells us "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near."

 

When we come together and focus upon the majesty and greatness of God, there is a ministry to our own hearts that nothing else can convey! And when we leave, it's with a different perspective; we see solutions to our problems that we never saw before. This is the continual and frequent experience of the people of God.

The Psalmist says in Psalm 73:16-17, "When I pondered to understand this, It was troublesome in my sight^. Until I came into the sanctuary of God; Then I perceived their end." There, in the sanctuary, in God's presence, he saw things in their proper perspective. And, so when the people of God come together, when the first thing to be concentrated on is prayer and the recognition of God's presence, there is something supernatural that occurs in the hearts of the hearer. And Oh beloved, what a feeling!

 

Let us bow our heads in prayer.

 

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Father, thank You for Your Word. Thank You for Your amazing love to us, a love that drew us unto Yourself and redeemed us. I pray that every one under the sound of my voice, hearing this message would know that kind of incredible love, that can only come from You..May we come to be obedient to all that You would have us to do. I pray that no one would fail to use the spiritual gifts given us by Your Holy Spirit, may it work in our lives in such a way that they might be used in the lives of others, ministering to the broken, the hurting and the lost, may it all for Your glory. May Take our lives O Lord and make them count for Christ's sake.

We pray in His precious name, 

Amen  

 

Today's Message: Saved To Serve

 

The message is intended for weary Christians. However, I have but one message for those who are pretending to be Christians, and that is to repent, believe on the Lord Jesus and you will be saved. Those pitiful pretenders, who only know religion, who have never been truly born from above, who loosely claim the title of Christian. However, those who are Christians, those who know Christ Jesus the Lord, but who have grown weary in well-doing, who need the encouragement of the Apostle Paul’s words. "For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands." The gift in which Paul's beloved son in the faith, Timothy had received was the Holy Spirit; and through Him, the power to preach and defend the truth. Paul was stirring the fire and adding fresh fuel, I'd like you to notice Paul doesn't start the fire, he is merely rekindling a fire that had already been burning, stirring it, if you will. I believe that this is a very practical word for all of us.

 

Open with me your Bibles to the Second Book of Timothy chapter 1. Today, we are looking at verses 6 and 7. Paul is writing from a dungeon in Rome. He has been incarcerated, for the last time in his life, and he is writing, what would prove to be the last epistle of his life. The Apostle Paul, was a dynamic force, one who passionately held his ground, bravely standing against the opposers of the gospel, who was unwavering for the cause of Christ, writes to Timothy, who must now carry on the torch, to encourage him. Young Timothy was certainly not the same indomitable spirit that Paul was. Quite frankly, there aren't even many like that today. In fact, I believe that Timothy drew his strength from the Apostle Paul, who was now nearing the end of his life.

I would like to encourage you to follow along with me as I read to set the text in our minds, as we prepare our hearts for the message the Holy Spirit has in store for us. II Timothy 1:6-7.

"For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline." 

Paul begins by alluding to what he had just written. What was the reason that prompted Paul to speak so pointedly to Timothy? The reason that Paul speaks so openly is the genuine faith that Timothy possessed, the identical faith, which if you will remember, that had been evident in both his grandmother and his mother. So focused on Timothy’s godly heritage. One individuals actions reflect back on those with whom he is associated, especially in a godly home. Parents, are often judged in part, by the actions of their children. Whether you live in benediction to your training, or you are live in rejection of the training with which you were invested, will be a matter of judgement by those who observe how you live out your life. 

 

There is no doubt, family is essential. As a church, we are a member of God's family. you live reflects on the teaching you have received. Your choices reflect on those with whom you share worship. Too often the professed people of God treat the congregation of the righteous as a religious social club. They join when they feel like it; and they don't whenever they wish. It's not a priority in their lives, if there isn't anything else going on, they'll show up. And, if it does...they don't. Yet, there are many around the world, who risk their lives in order to gather and study the Word of God. If the community of faith is nothing more than a social organization, then the individual can be the sole arbiter of his decision.

 

Paul, in II Timothy 4:10, is no doubt speaking about these kinds of people, when he writes "Demas, having loved this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica; Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia."

 

Beloved, fellowship is a family. And, just as with every other family, there are occasionally tensions that arise. And, just like our natural families, we are to make every effort to to work through our disappointments and our displeasure because we are family! However, I believe that because we are a family, even when someone is angry at others, the simple fact that a person can walk away, without looking back, speaks volumes, except in rare cases. There are times, when someone must leave for safety reasons.That's something completely different, and not what I am speaking about here.

1 John 2:19 says it this way, "They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us."

 

The deep, dark truth is that they love this world more than they love the truth; they are lovers of themselves rather than lovers of God. These words may sound harsh, they may sting, and they'll likely elicit excuses from those who walk away, however, the one walking away cannot evade the impact of this truth.

1 John 4:19-21 say this " We love, because He first loved us. If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also." You cannot say that you love God and despise your family, or the congregation. We are to walk with the ones we love, not away from them! And, you will continue to walk with them, even when you are convinced that you are in the right. If you can just leave, the you had no love to begin with. While some of you may disagree with me, one cannot disagree with these truths are the written Word of God, which is inerrant and infallible. The Apostle Paul tells Timothy, what he believes matters, and the same is true for you and me.

 

If you claim to be a follower of Jesus Christ, then how can you disdain those He also purchased with His blood? Allow me to put it another way, if the faith, which you claim to believe, then you're a fool. And, if you only pretend to hold on to the faith, you are even a greater fool! Because you are only exposing yourself to suffering for what you believe is a lie. How does that even makes sense? 

In II Peter 2:1-3, the Apostle Peter tells us "But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep."

 

In verse 7, Paul writes "For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline." 

 

Jesus in teaching His disciples, He seized the opportunity to compel them to think, in Luke 11:13, He said "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?" God gives His Holy Spirit to those who are His children. If we accept that we are fallen creatures, unclean in the sight of God , even though we are forgiven, and if we accept that even in our broken condition we give good gifts to our children, how then do we think it strange that the Father, would give His best gifts to those who receive His salvation. 

Because God gives His Holy Spirit to those who are called by His Name, I believe that this alone is sufficient reason for us to be holy!

In I Thessalonians 4:7-8, "For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification. So, he who rejects this is not rejecting man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you."

 

The gift of God, to believers, in the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. In his letter to the church at ^Ephesus, Paul wrote in Ephesians 1:15-17, "For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints, do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him."

 

In Romans 5:1-5, Paul says "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us."

  

It always amazes me, how many people read these verses, and arrive at the conclusion, that the Apostle Paul was only speaking to church leaders as to receive this Spirit of power, love and self control. However, it would seem clear to me, that that he is arguing that each Christian, each believer, has received this Spirit of whom He writes. Having received this Holy Spirit, Christians are equipped to live lives characterized by power and love and discipline. I want you to go from this service today with the appreciation that God has given you His Holy Spirit. God Himself lives with the Christian. 

 

Soon after Jesus promised to send the Helper, "whom I will send from the Father," He said in John 16:7-11, "But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged." 

 

Believers resting in Christ Jesus will witness the Spirit at work in their life. Spirit speaking through her or him is at work convicting the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgement. Christians are provided the supernatural power to convict the world of sin. That child of God will not need to be "judgy," but rather they will live a holy life and their life will be used by the Holy Spirit to convict; but when unbelievers ask the reason for their faith, they will witness to them.

 

Beloved, we cannot just argue, yell and scream people into the Kingdom of God, however, as the Spirit convicts them through us, we become holy instruments that God employs to the praise of His glory. The Spirit of God lives in us, working powerfully, calling lost people to life through us. What a beautiful truth, and, responsibility to live a holy life.

 

There are a number of Christians, and churches are notorious for beginning in faith, however, over time resort to their own devices. Now, I am not insinuating that believers should not use reason or common sense. I do mean that when a Christian or congregation, has determined the will of God, that is certainly what must be done. We are to invest our time in prayer, seeking the will of God. And He responds by blessing us, answering our prayers and leading us in a particular direction. As He causes these saints to boldly advance, the congregation is strengthened and grows, for the cause of Christ.

 

In Closing.. 

 

If you are unsure as to your spiritual gift, I would encourage you to first, consider what you are most passionate about. Secondly, I would encourage you to seek the help of the church, ask what they see in you. Often the church that recognizes that gift, before we do ourselves and affirms it in us. However, in the case of preaching the Gospel, such as with the Apostle Paul or Timothy, that is a passion poured into us by God, one that the Holy Spirit is eager to use.

 

Once you have discovered your gift, I encourage you to put it to use, soon you will find in it
an overwhelming satisfaction and fulfillment, that is literally beyond you. Our natural flesh is timid, cowardly, weak, selfish and enslaved to sin. But God has redeemed us, setting His Spirit within us, the Holy Spirit that God gives us, is one "of power, and love and discipline."

May it be so...

And now may the Lord bless you and keep you;

the Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;

The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.

Now and forever, in Jesus' name
Amen

 

 

 

 

 

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