Challengs For The Church (continued)

Bro. Winstead
Date: August 28, 2011 (Sunday night)
Scripture Text: Acts 9:5-6, Revelation 2:5
Title: Challenges For The Church
Notes taken by: Dawn H.


Acts 9:5-6vs. 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 2:1-5Remember 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.


If the love of Christ does not motivate us then nothing will.



When things change we see how important people are.



We need to remember who our worship is for! It is for JESUS!



It is about our eyes on Jesus Christ.



We are to worship whereever we are, but God wants us to worship publically too.



We are to keep planting the seed. We have nothing to do with what kind of soil we plant on.



We plant, another waters, and God gives the increase.



I CORINTHIANS 3:7So then neither is he that plantest any thin, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.



The devil would rather cause more turmoil in the church because it causes more harm.



We need to quit murmuring, complaining, and fighting with one another and start fighting the real war which is against the devil!



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



The devil will mess with you.



Do not spend your time with warring against flesh and blood.



We need to remember a transformed life is the best witness, a "changed" life.



It is more about what you say, people want to see some evidence.



Good works is a product of Salvation. A changed life is the greatest witness.



PHILIPPIANS 2:10-14vs. 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heave, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
vs. 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
vs. 12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
vs. 13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
vs. 14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings:


EPHESIANS 2:8-9vs. 8 For by grace are ye saved through fath; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
vs. 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.



Once you plant a garden that is the easy part.



Once planted you are going to see other things come up (weeds, thistles, & briers).


There are going to be some things that sprout up that should not, but the flesh shows up and we have to cultivate.
- work out your salvation -



We need to have the right attitude and action.



PHILIPPIANS 2:14Do all things without murmurings and disputings:


Let God Work It Out!



God did not call us out of the world; but He called us to be a Light in this world!


If He wanted to call us out of the world then He would just call us out and take us to Heaven when we get Saved; but no He wants us to be the salt of the earth and the lighto f the world that we might shine as lights in this world.



A transformed life is the best witness!



Regardless of what goes your way or does not go your way JESUS IS STILL THE WAY!


Jesus will make a way when there seems no way to be made.



He parted the sea.
He turned the water into wine.
He took a corrupt sinner and Saved him.
He is the Way the ONLY WAY!



When we recognize Jesus is the way we have peace.



JOHN 14:2 In my Father's house are many mansion; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to preapre a place for you.



Jesus has prepared a place for you.
Do we have a place for Him?

LET'S BE A BRIGHT AND SHINING LIGHT!

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!

- Doors of Blessings Swing Open -

Warm thoughts are sent to you. You are being thought of this very moment and you are loved. May your day be that of sweet moments found in God's beauty all around you. Any worries that you have been carrying may they slip away and may you hear God whisper He is working all things out. May you feel God's arms ever so tightly wrapped around you and your heart right now and at all times. In that we have trials from time to time to go through God is using them to build up our strength and we know that whatever we face in this life we do not face it alone for He is right there with us. May doors of blessings swing open wide and may they come rushing in covering you and your family. Isaiah 43:2 "When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee: and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee."

-Dawn H.

8/12/2011

@ 9:12 a.m.