Challenges To The Church

Bro. Winstead
Date: August 28, 2011 (Sunday morning)
Scripture Text: Acts 9:5-6 & Revelation 2:1-5
Title: Challenges to the Church
Notes taken by: Dawn H.

Acts 9:5-6 vs. 5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord: And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
vs. 6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.

Revelation 2:1-5 vs. 1 Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven goldn candlesticks;
vs. 2 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patients, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast triedthem which say they are apostles, and are note, and hast found them liars:
vs. 3 And hast borne, and hast patient, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.
vs. 4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
vs. 5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

What Would You Have Me To Do God?

Remember who our worship is for and who we are doing it for, JESUS!

Too often we go through the motions.

We have to worship Him in Spirit and Truth!

John 4:19-24 vs. 19 The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.
vs. 20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in JErusalem is the place where men ought to worship.
vs. 21 Jesus saith unto hert, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
vs. 22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
vs. 23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
vs. 24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

There are some hinderances to worship:
- bitterness
- problems
- disagreement

A tension, strife, coldness hinders your worship and another's worship to God.

We have got to man up and woman up and say, "I'm not going to let you or this hinder me from true worship."

Paul said in I Corinthians 13:11 "When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things."

GROW UP!!!

Worship is a personal thing!

I can worship and praise Him everywhere I am.

God seeks true worshipers.

We have got to know Him and it has got to be personal.

Luke 4:14-16 vs. 14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.
vs. 15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.
vs. 16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for the read.

We are to worship Him not only privately, but publicaly.

We should worship Him with every breath we've got.

You can worship God anywhere, but JESUS even went into the synaggue on the Sabbath day, and stood up for to read, see Luke 4:14-16.

We are to Worship.

We are often wanting to be "force-fed!" We come determined we are not going to get anything.

We ought to come in wanting SOMETHING!

Come in praying already for the service, the teachers, the preacher....come in READY TO RECEIVE!

It's public - we need to participate.

What Is Our Work To Do?
1. To evangalize.
- to see people come in and get Saved!
- to preach God's word
- to plant the seed
2. To equip. This comes by the preaching and teaching God's Word.
3. To encourage.

Without the shedding of Blood there is no remission of sins! (That is why JESUS died for us.)

Hebrews 9:22 says, "And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without sheeding of blood is no remission."

When God's word is not taught and preached you lose the foundation.

Ephesians 4:11-12, 15-16 vs. 11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets. and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
vs. 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
vs. 15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
vs. 16 From whomthe whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measureof every part, making increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

You cannot just get in to get enough to do you and get out again.

People, we, seem to say, "Give me something, give me something, give me something."

Read God's word daily!

Pray daily!

You are going to have disagreements, but we have got to learn how to handle them. Do not allow them to cause discord between you and another.

Philippians 2:1-5 vs 1 If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,
vs 2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
vs 3 Let nothing be done through strife or vaingloryl but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
vs 4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
vs 5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

Our war is not against the sinner or the saint.

Remember who are war is with. It is with Satan; but most of the time we spend our time fighting with one another.

Our war is not with others, but it is against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of the world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

We run around trying to be involved in the things we shouldn't and the things we should be involved with we are not.

God loves the sinner not your, mine, or the world's sin.

Ephesians 6:10-12 vs. 10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
vs. 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
vs. 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against rules of the darnkess of this world, against spiritual wicknedness in high places.

I Peter 5:8 says, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:"

Take up the sword and go into Battle!