What Can I Do To Help Our Church?
INTRO
: Do you want to see New Beginnings change? By that I mean go forward and be different as we grow for the Lord? Do you have a desire to help with things, yet you do not know what to do or what you can do? We probably all face that, wanting to help, yet unsure what to do next… Today I want to look at that subject, "What Can I Do To Help Our Church?"Before I begin with the message, I would like to look at what we often credit as a great plus in building churches.
Now, I am not saying these things are not needed! I am, however, going to give you other areas we need to help our church. These first areas I am going to mention just are not the true or only thing we need to see our church grow for the Lord.
We see helping our church can be done by…
Hard work - [stop and raise hands and shout] "Okay lets everyone work harder!" - Okay?
Prayer - Yeah you got me there. Prayer is needed, wanted and done.
Money
Volunteer - Oh yeah, that will solve it just get more volunteers. To be honest, we must have volunteers to function, but there is more…
Attend more services - this is one I turned in (by the way). It is needed, but will it really cause our church to reach more? Maybe, since I turned this one in it must be right. I could argue, more worship, more closeness, more learning, more everything!
Friendlier attitudes - aren't we friendly enough? Yeah, I know friendliness and friendships are what I preach! But, I ask you, "Will friendliness alone make our church grow?"
LET ME SHARE with you an example… Captain D's for example is one of the friendliest eating places I go - or at least they try to be. When you go in, they greet you - "Hi!" and they make it a practice to loudly greet you as you leave, "BYE!" So, when I go, I try to slip out without them getting it in. In fact I was able to the other day - YESSSSSS!
Don't get me wrong, it IS important, but people can dodge friendliness! People can just cruise by it, enjoy it, but still never know Jesus -- and is that not what we are trying to do, give them Jesus?
They can bypass hard work, resist our best prayers, outmaneuver all our great volunteers, dodge our best friendship vibes -- they can get around it all!
So what is the answer?
-----Glad you asked!
Let's read from God's Word. Turn to Mark 2:1-22
Mark 2:1 - 22
1
And again he entered into Capernaum after some days; and it was noised that he was in the house.2
And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door: and he preached the word unto them.3
And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four.4
And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay.5
When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.6
But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts,7
Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?8
And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts?9
Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk?10
But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,)11
I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house.12
And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion.13
And he went forth again by the sea side; and all the multitude resorted unto him, and he taught them.14
And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the receipt of custom, and said unto him, Follow me. And he arose and followed him.15
And it came to pass, that, as Jesus sat at meat in his house, many publicans and sinners sat also together with Jesus and his disciples: for there were many, and they followed him.16
And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners?17
When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.18
And the disciples of John and of the Pharisees used to fast: and they come and say unto him, Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but thy disciples fast not?19
And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? as long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.20
But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.21
No man also seweth a piece of new cloth on an old garment: else the new piece that filled it up taketh away from the old, and the rent is made worse.22
And no man putteth new wine into old bottles: else the new wine doth burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles will be marred: but new wine must be put into new bottles.
The first thing we really need in our lives if we are going to help the church is to…
Be saved - is this true? Can we really help others know the Lord if we do not? We can not just be an attendee, a "goer," a member, a participant, but we need to be a believer! Don't misunderstand me, I am NOT saying we do not want the lost, unbelievers to come here -- al contraire! We just want them to have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ! Do you? Do you know the Lord? Have you committed your life to Him? Have you asked Him to forgive you of your sins? Do you walk with Him? Is He your Lord and Savior? This is why we are here, is it not?
We need believers who know the Lord, show the Lord, stroll with the Lord and go for the Lord!
We need believers at New Beginnings who see, feel, hear, touch and know what salvation is and does for our lives!
Another way to help our church is to…
Be solid in the Word and its teachings - 2 Tim 1:13
2 Timothy 1:13
Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.We need to hear and read and study His Word to be strong
His Word will strengthen our individual lives
His Word will strengthen our church as a whole
His Word will change individual lives of those who come to our church as hungry unbelievers
His Word will strengthen the lives of those who come to our church as born again unbelievers
His Word will help make sure our church does not veer from the straight path He want s us to travel
His Word helps us stand against all sin (not just our pet peeves)
His Word should be shared and taught to others
2 Timothy 2:2
And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.We as believers and as a church have a responsibility to handle and share God's Word well. This we must do! Our church must be built on His Word.
Another thing we need to help our church is for us to…
Be separated from sin - I mean get rid of it! If there is any question, dump it!
2 Timothy 2:3 - 4
3Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.4
No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.We do NOT need to have sin in our lives
God does NOT want sin in our lives
Sin in our lives hurts us individually
Sin in our lives hurts our church as a whole
Sin in our lives causes unbelievers to doubt the grace and power of God
And last, if we are to help our church, we need to…
Be strong in the grace of God
2 Timothy 2:1 Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
Let the meaning of God's grace show in our life
Let the greatness of His grace help us give meaning to others lives
Let the happiness His grace brings enlighten others lives
Let the sureness of His grace touch others' lives
So, do you want to help our church?
Don't forget the hard work, prayer, volunteering, money, friendliness, church attendance and all that.
I need to do more for the Work of the Lord - Yes / No - answer this
But more than that, know and show Christ in your lives. Help us get the Word to your friends and loved ones and God's Spirit will help them know Him.
I need to live closer to the Lord
We can work all out and give all out and so on and so on, but if we do not know and show the Lord, it will not do well!
Gary Marcum - New Beginnings Church - 052106am