Sermon Central
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7 People The Church Could Not Do Without
Contributed by Jerry Shirley on Apr 27, 2004 (message contributor)
Summary: We have many people here that have these qualities...but cannot have TOO many! Thank God there are many more ’in the works’ and ’on the way!’ Link included to formatted text, audio, and PowerPoint Presentation.
7 People Our Church Could Not Do Without
Philippians 1:3-7; 4:1,15
http://gbcdecatur.org/sermons/7PeopleChurch.html
A) Paul organized many churches and his interest in them never ceased!
* This was only natural! He had put much blood, sweat, and tears into them.
* Some of these churches pleased him, some of them disappointed him!
B) It seems that the church at Philippi was his favorite!
[read texts]
* He felt that the church at Philippi represented the crowning work of his life, and of course, it brought him his greatest joy!
C) There are at least some people in every church like these Philippian Christians! And many in ours!
* They are a crown to their Pastor, they make his life worthwhile!
* They cause his heart to swell with joy!
D) The church could not get along without them!
* Who are they?
(1) THE CHURCH COULD NOT DO WITHOUT FAITHFUL PEOPLE!
* The Bible nowhere commends anyone for greatness or brilliance, but rather for faithfulness!
* Matt.25:21 "Well done thou good and faithful servant ......."
A) You know his name as a disease, but in 1927,
Lou Gehrig of the N.Y. Yankees was named outstanding baseball player of the year!
* During his lifetime he played in more consecutive games than any other man in the history of the sport! * He never missed a game! * They called him the "Iron Man of Baseball." You say you’re a team player…do you miss many of the games?
B) What made Lou Gehrig so great? * It was his faithfulness! [a better record than Cal Ripken, Jr.!]
* Every day he was out there on first base doing his best!
C) Now, if Christ picked out the most outstanding member of our church,
* Who would it be? * It would surely be the one who was most faithful!
* Jesus says in Rev.2:10, "Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life."
D) So my prayer is, "God, keep sending us faithful Christians!"
* We need people who are faithful in giving, attendance, Christian living, in serving, in witness!
* We couldn’t get along without faithful people, we have so many, and we can’t have too many of them!
(2) THE CHURCH COULD NOT DO WITHOUT WILLING PEOPLE!
* Oh, we have willing people, all right…some willing to work & others willing to let ’em!
And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.
A) We have members who are willing to do the work of the world…
* But not the work of the Lord! * The job calls them and they go ...
* The club calls them, the lodge calls them, the outside organization calls them, and they are
ready and willing! * The Lord calls them, the church calls them, and they’re too busy!
B) A man said to me one time, "I don’t come to church on Sun. nights because,
* That’s the only time I have for my family." * Why?
* Because he gave all the other nights to his social life and pleasures!
* Now he felt that he could give God’s night to the family!
C) Christians ought to be willing to make some adjustments!
* The Lord and the church ought to have top priority in our lives!
* These other things will die with the setting sun, the things of Christ will last forever!
Which group are you in, the willing, or the whining? Around here, the squeaky wheel does not always get the oil! You can complain about what needs improving or you can volunteer and ask, what can I do to help this improve?!
D) The grasshopper on the fence makes more noise than the ox in the field!
* But the ox does the work! * Some people talk much, but do nothing for the Lord!
E) Those who really love the Lord, say, "Any place that I can serve suits me!"
* "I’m willing to work anywhere that I can glorify God and serve His cause!" Now, we try to place you where you want, and where you’re best suited and the most gifted…that’s only wise…but it’s still true: “The best ability is availability!”
* Are you willing to do the work or just willing to watch someone do it?
* The church could not do without willing people!
A big area of need right now: discipleship! [explain]
Our future depends upon whether we make our new people a priority or not!
Faithful, willing…
(3) THE CHURCH COULD NOT DO WITHOUT PEOPLE OF VISION!
We need first a vision of the needs ABOUT us * Prov.29:18 "Where there is no ......."
