House of Faith Mission
1 - Introduction
Pastor Bruce A. Shields
The House of Faith Church | www.PS127.org | www.TruthDigest.org
Online Audio Files | HOF Church Facebook | Truth Digest Facebook
This document is a Sermon Outline. You may hear the full audio of the actual sermon by following the link Online Audio Files located above for this and other Full Sermon Audios. For a complete list of Sermon Outlines, visit TruthDigest.org or Truth Digest on Facebook; for our Official Church website, visit PS127.org, or find us on Facebook at House of Faith Church.
SERMON TIMELINE
· Introduction
INTRODUCTION
Today is Sunday. February 26th, 2023.
It is a time of year when many of us are working on filing our taxes for the previous year, and yes, for those who do not know, ministers do pay taxes like everyone else. Or, at least they should, as Jesus said in Matthew 22:21, “…render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s; and to God the things that are God’s.”
Since this is the season of rendering to Caesar, it brings up the discussion about what Jesus said and is a time for us to examine ourselves. Are we truly rendering to God the things that are God’s?
We know they were just trying to get Jesus to say something stupid, like don’t pay your taxes to Caesar, so they could report Him, and he would be imprisoned for rebelling against Rome. But as with all Jesus says, there is wisdom and teaching in His words.
Over the last twelve months, we examined the Book of Exodus, breaking down each section and looking at the teachings and their meanings in relation to Salvation from the bondage of sin through blood sacrifice. The foreshadowing of why we need Salvation and how the Lord would provide, just as He did in Genesis with the ram for Abraham, so, like Abraham, we would not have to pay the wages for sin, which is death.
Over the last couple of weeks, I mentioned that we would be starting a new series. One aimed at renewing our hearts, and strengthening this church, so that we may continue to accomplish the things God has called us to do in this community and the rest of the world.
Next Sunday, we will have our yearly business meeting after church. I love these meetings because they allow us to see in black and white the actual numbers of what we have done in the Name of the Lord, both in our local community and around the world.
This series will answer some questions that we all need to know and understand to continue as a congregation in this church. Because as Jesus warns in Revelation, a Church that does not serve Him and His purpose will have its light removed. Without the Holy Spirit, we can accomplish nothing for the Lord and become, as Jesus warns in Matthew 23:27-28, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. “In this way, you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”
We do not want to “appear” as righteous. Instead, we want to “be” righteous.
What is it God wants us to render to Him? What did Jesus say we were to do until His return? What is the purpose of the local church we attend?
Those listening today to this message. Whether you are one of our 5,000 listeners in Russia, 3,000 listeners in Germany, or 2,000 listeners in France, wherever you are, listening to this podcast, reading the words of this message, these principles I speak of today apply to you, where you are in the world, right now.
The instructions are for all believers, wherever they may be.
By the way, our website, TruthDigest.org, can translate these outlines into over 100 languages. I expect that, eventually, A.I. will also be able to translate the recorded podcast into other languages soon. When this becomes available, we will implement it on our website too.
Today we look at What Are We Here For?
SCRIPTURE READING
(Legacy Standard Bible)
Matthew 28:16-20 “But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated. And when they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted. And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to keep all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
TODAY'S MESSAGE
I. WHAT DOES JESUS SAY WE ARE TO DO UNTIL HE RETURNS?
a. The Great Commission
i. All authority in heaven and earth belongs to Jesus
ii. Make disciples of all nations
iii. Baptize them in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
iv. Teach them to obey all that I command
v. I am with you always
vi. Even to the end of the age
b. How is this achieved
i. Surrendering to Jesus’ authority
ii. Sharing the gospel with everyone, regardless of nationality or where they live
iii. Baptizing them in the Name of
1. Father
2. Son
3. Holy Spirit
iv. Teach those who have received the gospel, and been baptized, to obey all that Christ commands
v. Jesus is with us until the next age, which will be the tribulation for some, Glory for others
c. Our scorecard
i. When it comes to serving, there are a few positions you may take
1. You are the “doer.”
2. You are the “helper.”
3. You are the “financial supporter.”
ii. Doers – 2 Peter 1:10-11 “Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and choosing sure; for in doing these things, you will never stumble; for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.”
iii. Helpers – 3 John 5-8 “Beloved, you are acting faithfully in whatever work you do for the brothers, and are doing this though they are strangers; and they bore witness to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. For they went out for the sake of the Name, receiving nothing from the Gentiles. Therefore we ought to support such men, so that we may be fellow workers with the truth.”
iv. Financial Support – 1 Timothy 5:17-18 “The elders who lead well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor at preaching the Word and teaching. For the Scripture says, “YOU SHALL NOT MUZZLE THE OX WHILE IT IS THRESHING,” and “THE LABORER IS WORTHY OF HIS WAGES.”
v. We have doers in the church. Those who preach and teach in the church, those who take the gospel to the widows and elderly, those who teach during the week to the community, those who teach our children God’s Word, those who serve as deacons, those who serve in various ministries that I hear good reports about, those who serve in positions of administration.
vi. We have helpers who help the doers accomplish their calling.
vii. And we have those who financially support this church.
1. Though we are small and have accomplished much in the way of the doing and helping, because of our numbers we are suffering financially.
2. This is a sad fact, and I am not asking anyone to do more than they are called to.
3. 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 “Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows with blessing will also reap with blessing. Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make every grace abound to you, so that in everything at every time having every sufficiency, you may have an abundance for every good deed;”
viii. We all need to pray that the Lord will provide for our needs so that we may continue to be doers, helpers, and supporters.
ix. So that we may continue to run this race together until the end.
II. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE LOCAL CHURCH?
a. The reason for the local church
i. Acts 2:42 is somewhat of a purpose statement to the church
ii. “And they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to the prayers.”
1. Continually – Meeting regularly
2. Devoting themselves – Dedicating themselves, giving themselves
3. To the apostle's teaching – The teaching message that offers more than just a preaching message, but a deeper meaning of God’s Holy Word
4. And to fellowship – such as gathering together for worship, events, celebrations
5. The breaking of bread – not just communion, breaking of bread means eating together, such as feasts
6. And to prayer, which we do together every week
b. How is this achieved
i. By teaching biblical doctrine so that the listeners can be grounded in faith
1. Ephesians 4:11-14 “And He Himself gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the full knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ, so that we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming,”
ii. A place of fellowship where Christians can be devoted to one another
1. Romans 12:10 “being devoted to one another in brotherly love, giving preference to one another in honor,”
2. Building each other up and strengthening each other.
3. Being kind and compassionate to one another, and most importantly, loving one another.
iii. We share communion regularly and eat together, which I believe we should do more often.
iv. And we have weekly prayers, sharing praises and concerns so that we may find pray for one another and those who are not with us.
v. Most importantly, we achieve our goals as a church by James 1:27 “Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”
1. We accomplish this through the Nursing Home Chaplain, our food and clothing drives, and various missions we involve ourselves in, such as the F.I.S.H. Gifthouse and other charities that serve our local community.
c. Our scorecard
i. We are doing these things, but I want to see more because I believe we can do better!
ii. There is always room for improvement and doing for the Lord.
1. This is why I got involved with the Iosco Ministerial Association because I wanted to do more for the community.
2. This is why I am also involved with the Harbor Lights Pregnancy center facilitating weekly sessions for the community.
3. This is why I work so hard putting my sermons on our Facebook pages, websites, and Sermon Central.
a. By the way, our sermons on Sermon Central, where pastors worldwide download sermons to preach, have been downloaded 1,217,620 times.
b. Only God knows how many millions and millions of people got to hear the Word of God around the world because of this little church?
c. In the last six months alone
i. 93,756 downloaded in India
ii. 84,015 downloads in the Philippines
iii. 69,404 downloads in Kenya
iv. 57,228 downloads in Nigeria
v. 28,005 downloads in Ghana
vi. 14,611 downloads in Australia
iii. This local church is reaching the world and MUST go on!
III. WHAT DOES GOD WANT US TO RENDER TO HIM?
a. The instructions we received
i. Let’s not forget how the Lord determined what should be rendered to Caesar. The coin He had asked to see (v. 19) bore the emperor’s image (v. 20), and He rightly concluded that it belonged to the emperor.
1. But by that reasoning, since all men bear the image of God by virtue of creation (Genensis 1:27; 9:6; 1 Corinthians 11:7), they belong to Him and owe Him the Glory that historically men have refused to give Him (Romans 1:21).
ii. When God saved you, you were “conformed to the image of His Son” (Romans 8:29), and you “put on the new man” which bears “the image of Him that created him” (Colossians 3:10).
1. So if we render money to Caesar because it bears his image, we should also yield ourselves to God “as those that are alive from the dead” (Romans 6:13).
iii. In addition, your physical body also belongs to Him (1 Corinthians 6:19-20), so it is among the things that are His that should be rendered to Him.
1. That means that while you will no doubt want to render to God financially to support the ministries that minister to you (1 Corinthians 9:11; Galatians 6:6), you should also consider following the lead of the Macedonians, who “first gave their own selves to the Lord” (2 Corinthians 8:5).
iv. Make no mistake, we are all called to do our part to keep this church open and in operation. Still, we are also called on an individual sense to give of ourselves, meaning money, time, and effort.
b. How we accomplish this
i. Encouraging one another in good works
ii. Serving one another, the community, widows and orphans, the infirm and elderly
iii. In this way, we render ourselves to our creator.
c. How we move forward
i. Over the next few weeks, we will examine ourselves against the Holy Word of God to see where we would receive praise for deeds well rendered in the Name of the Lord and what Christ may have against us.
ii. In doing so, we will know where we need to repent and be overcomers.
When we study the Word and measure ourselves against it, we do so not to condemn ourselves for falling short but rather to convict ourselves to move forward!
CONCLUSION
Every race is difficult. Every runner will tell you there is a sweet spot called the second wind when running. This is when you are tired, begin to feel weak, and maybe even think about giving up, but then it happens.
You are re-energized, feel you have caught your breath, and your brain releases all the chemicals needed to continue. Your pain is gone, your energy returns, and you find yourself, as some runners call it, “in the zone.”
This is where we must find ourselves for us to continue the race.
In the race the Lord has called us to, the only ones who lose are those who give up.
We are not in a race against each other but rather against ourselves and whether or not we will fight to serve the Lord until our last breath.
There are those who inspire me to serve until the very end. My friend Gale Wojahn. The Hebrew scholar Dr. Michael S. Heiser. Both of whom died of cancer, yet both continued serving the Lord until the very end.
I pray to be so strong in the Lord.
Let us display fruits worthy of repentance, openly receive the Lord’s love, endure any persecution, hold on to sound doctrines and teachings, resist the evil of this age, be ALIVE in God’s Holy Spirit, remain humbly dependent on Jesus, and wait patiently for the end of this age.
Let us Surrender to Yahweh in all Things
Trust the Lord your God and Render to Him the things that are His!
NEXT WEEK
Part 2 We begin our journey
This and other Sermon Audios can be found for FREE at
https://www.ps127.org/online-audio-files
Want to learn more about Salvation?
Want to read more FREE sermons?
No comments:
Post a Comment