"A Call To Serve"

"A Call to Serve"

MARCH 22, 2009

CENTRAL ZION BAPTIST CHURCH

2 TIMOTHY 2:1-7

SALUTATION

CONGRATULATE WORKERS FOR JOB WELL DONE - FOR HARD WORK AND DEDICATION TO THE TEACHING MINISTRY OF THE CHURCH – LETS CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR THEM, AND PRAY THAT GOD WILL SEND MORE COMMITTED WORKERS INTO HIS SERVICE.

STUDENTS – ENCOURAGE THEM TO CONTINUE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE.

LET ME SAY RIGHT UP FONT, WE MAY DO A LOT OF THINGS IN CHURCH, BUT IF AS A CHURCH, WE FAIL TO INCORPORATE THE TEACHING OF THE WORD OF GOD, WE WILL BECOME NOTHING MORE THAN A GROUP OF FOLKS TO GET TOGETHER TWICE A WEEK TO SOCIALIZE, AND HAVE A GOOD TIME AND WHEN IT IS ALL SAID AND DONE, WE ARE STILL A PEOPLE MOST MISERABLE AND SPIRITUALLY WEAK BECAUSE OUR SPIRITS ARE LACKING THE WORD OF GOD WHICH IS ABLE TO MAKE US STRONG IN THE TIMES OF TESTING AND TRIBULATIONS. AND SO I AM COMMITTED TO THE TEACHING AND THE PREACHING OF THE WORD OF GOD AND WILL REMAIN COMMITTED TO THE WORD AND IF YOU ARE HERE TODAY AND YOU WANT A CHURCH WHERE THAT FOCUSES ON JUST EMOTIONS WITHOUT REGARD FOR THE WORD OF GOD, THIS IS NOT THE CURCH FOR YOU. WE ARE SEEKING TO BUILD A CHURCH THAT IS WELL ROUNDED IN THE WORD AND PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO USE THEIR GIFTS AND THE SPIRIT IS FREE TO MOVE, BUT NOTHING WILL EVER GET IN THE WAY WHEN IT COMES TO THE TEACHING AND THE PREACHING OF THE WORD. I AM REMINDED THAT – THE BIBLE SAYS: THY WORD HAVE I HID IN MY HEART THAT I MAY NOT SIN AGAINST THEE.. THE WORD IS A BARRIER AGAINST WILFUL AND SINFUL BEHAVIOR.

STUDY TO SHOW YOUR SELF APPROVED A WORKMAN WHO IS NOT ASHAMED BUT RIGHTLY DIVING THE WORD OF TRUTH – THE WORD IS A PROTECTION AGAINST MISLEADING OURSELVES AS WELL AS OTHERS ASTRAY – THE WORD OF GOD KEEPS US ON TRACK.

THINK ABOUT IT, WHEN JESUS WAS BEING EMPTED BY SATAN IN THE WIDERNES, THE FIRST TJING HE DID WAS NOT TO PRAY, NOT TO SING, NO, HE USED THE WORD OF GOD AGAINST THE ENEMY AND HE WAS ABLE TO OVERCOME AND RISE ABOVE THE TEMPTATION BECAUSE HE KNEW THE WORD OF GOD – THE WORD OF GOD IS A SHIELD AGAINST THE FIERY DARTS OF SATAN AND ABLE TO KEEP US FROM FALLING.

LOOK AT IT THIS WAY, IF JESUS WHO WAS THE WORD NEEDED THE WORD TO STAND AGAINST THE ENEMY, WHAT ABOUT US. I SAID ALL THAT I SAID BECAUSE IT IS THROUGH THE TEACHING MINISTRY THAT WE LEARN THE WORD OF GOD SO THAT WE CAN BECOME STRONG AND MATURE IN THE GRACE OF GOD.

MY CENTRAL FAMILY, I AM PROUD OF YOU BECAUSE IN THE LAST YEAR THERE HAS BEEN A RADICAL SHIFT IN YOUR ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE TEACHING OF THE WOD OF GOD. YOU HAVE BEEN DOING VERY WELL AND I THANK GOD FOR THAT BECAUSE THAT SAYS TO BE THAT WE ARE MATURING IN THE THINGS OF GOD. WHILE OUR WEDNESDAYS ARE FAST BECOMING LIKE SUNDAY MORNINGS, WE STILL HAVE A LITTLE MORE WORK TO DO IN THE SUNDAY SCHOOL, BUT I AM VERY ENCOURAGED BY WHAT I SEE AND I PRAISE GOD FOR ALL OF YOU.

BUT I AM HEHE WITH THE TIME I HAVE LEFT TO TELL US HOW ARE WE TO SERVE FAITHFULLY. HOW ARE WE EMPOWERED TO SERVE FAITHFULLY, AND ESPECIALLY AS IT RELATES TO THE TEACHING MINISTRY?

WELL THIS TEXT IS LOADED.

INTRODUCTION

SAY: IT’S VERY FITTING AND APPROPRIATE FOR THE OCCASION.

WORKING WITH CHILDREN AND ADULTS IN THE SUNDAY SCHOOL IS A TAXING ASSIGNMENT. IT’S NOT EASY.

BUT THE TEXT SAYS THAT WE HAVE BEEN EMPOWERED TO SERVE, FAITHFULLY. MY PHILOSOPHY IS IF YOU ARE GOING TO SERVE THEN WHY NOT DO IT FAITHFULLY.

MY TASK TODAY IS TO SHOW US FROM THE WORD OF GOD WHAT IS REQUIRED IN ORDER FOR YOU AND ME OR ANY OTHER BELIEVER TO SERVE GOD FAITHFULLY.

LET’S LOOK AT OUR TEXT - TRANSITION INTO THE TEXT.

SAY: ANYTIME A TEXT BEGINS WITH THE WORD THEREFORE – YOU NEED TO ASK WHAT IS IT THERE FOR? WE CANNOT IGNORE THE THEREFORES IN THE TEXT. INSTEAD, WE HAVE TO LOOK BACKWARDS BEFORE WE CAN MOVE FORWARD IN ORDER TO GET THE FULL SENSE OF WHAT THE APOSTLE IS TRYING TO SAY TO US.

EVERYTHING IN CH. 2 IS TIED BACK TO CH. 1 WHERE PAUL IS ENCOURAGING YOUNG TIMOTHY TO BE FAITHFUL TO HIS CALLING AND THE TASK AT HAND.

AND SO IF WE ARE GOING TO BE EMPOWERED O SERVE FAITHFULY, FIRST AND FOREMOST, THE APOSTLE PAUL SAYS IT COMES FROM A

1. SINCERE FAITH IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST – 1:5-6. B&S, NO ONE SHOULD ATTEMPT ANYTHING SPIRITUAL UNTIL HE OR SHE HAS BEEN TO THE CROSS AND HAVE EXPERIENCE THE CHANGE THAT COMES FROM A GENUINE FAITH IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. YOU SEE MY B&S, WITHOUT FAITH, IT IS NOT ONLY HARD TO DO WHAT GOD WANTS, THE BIBLE SAYS THAT WITHOUT FAILT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE. WE CANNOT BE EFFECTIVE IN THE LONG RUN UNTIL WE HAVE FIRST PLACED FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST. IN THE BOOK OF ACTS, SEVEN YOUNG BOYS – SCEVA SONS, WERE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH SOMETHINGS IN THE NAME OF THE LORD, BUT THEY WEREN’T SAVED AND SPIRITUALLY EQUIPPED FOR THE TASK AT HAND AND THE BIBLE SAYS THAT THE DEMONS THEY WERE TRYING TO CAST OUT BEAT THEM AND STRIPPED THEM NAKED AND HALF KILLED THEM. B&S, DONOT ATTEMPT ANYTHING IN THE NAME OF THE LORD UNTIL YOU HAVE BEN TO THE CROSS AND HAVE PLACE A SINCERE AND GENUINE FAITH IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST . SAINTS OF GOD, ALL THE EDUCATION, ALL THE TRAINING, ALL THE TALENTS AND ALL THE SKILLS IN THE WORLD CANNOT MAKE UP FOR THE ABSENCE OF A SINCERE SAVING FAITH IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. OH, BUT WHEN WE HAVE TALENTS, AND GIFTS AND SKILSS THAT WE CAN SUBMIT UNDERTHE LORDSHIP OF JESUS CHRIST, THEN WE ARE AN UNSTOPPABLE FORCE IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD. YOU WANT TO BE EFFECTIVE IN MINISTRY, GET SAVED. AND SO THE FIRST STEP IN THIS PROCESS OF BEING EMPOWERED TO SERVE FAITHFULLY IS A SINCERE FAITH IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.