The ACCOMPLISHMENTS of CHRISTIAN TEAMWORK—Titus 3:12-15
Paul typified the positive nature of Christian teamwork to the readers of his epistle to Titus.
Christian teamwork is indispensible to the faith.
When is Christian teamwork typified?
Christian teamwork is typified when the team satisfies...
1—Christian teamwork is typified in its satisfying...
Christian LIMITATION(:12)
Explanation:(:12)Titus needed relief/Refreshing
:12—“When I send Artemas to you, or Tychicus, be diligent to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there.”
Paul will definitely send either Artemas or Tychicus to Titus. Paul is thus sending him this letter to let him know that he is to be relieved in Crete. And that he is to leave Crete for Nicopolis, where he is to join Paul. Titus is a gifted pastor able to organize & “set in order” that which the church lacks for fervency & efficiency. However, there is need for his presence with Paul for either personal reasons, training, &/or preparation for another assignment.
“When I send Artemas to you,”
Artemas: “Artemas”= ‘Gift of Artemis”
There is no further mention of Artemas in Scripture. Obviously of pagan descent(parents), a Gentile as Artemis[Diana] is a Greek pagan deity later identified with the Roman goddess Diana. The Hellenic goddess of the hunt, wild animals, wilderness, childbirth, virginity & young girls, bringing & relieving disease in women; she often was depicted as a huntress carrying a bow & arrows.
*No matter a person’s background & past, they can be used mightily of the Lord!
Acts 19:23-28—“And about that time there arose a great commotion about the Way. For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Diana[Artemis], brought no small profit to the craftsmen. He called them together with the workers of similar occupation, & said: “Men, you know that we have our prosperity by this trade. “Moreover you see & hear that not only at Ephesus, but throughout almost all Asia, this Paul has persuaded & turned away many people, saying that they are not gods which are made with hands. So not only is this trade of ours in danger of falling into disrepute, but also the temple of the great goddess Diana [Artemis] may be despised & her magnificence destroyed, whom all Asia & the world worship.” Now when they heard this, they were full of wrath & cried out, saying, “Great is Diana [Artemis] of the Ephesians!””
Acts 19:35—“And when the city clerk had quieted the crowd, he said: “Men of Ephesus, what man is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple guardian of the great goddess Diana[Artemis], & of the image which fell down from Zeus?” “When I send Artemas to you, or Tychicus,
Tychicus:
Accompanied Paul on his missionary journey from Corinth to Asia Minor(Acts 20:4). He was trusted with recounting the “news” about Paul to the churches of Colossae(Col. 4:7) & Ephesus(Eph. 6:21). Thus he probably delivered letters from Paul to those churches. He was trusted as a representative of Paul to the church at Ephesus(2Tim. 4:12).
He is glowingly referred to by Paul as: “A beloved brother & faithful minister in the Lord, who “will make all things known” to his recipients at Ephesus(Eph. 6:21). He is further described as a “beloved brother,” ‘Faithful minister” & a “Fellow servant” “in the Lord.”
Acts 20:4—“And Sopater of Berea accompanied him to Asia--also Aristarchus & Secundus of the Thessalonians, & Gaius of Derbe, & Timothy, & Tychicus & Trophimus of Asia.”
Col. 4:7—“Tychicus, a beloved brother, faithful minister, & fellow servant in the Lord, will tell you all the news about me.”
Eph. 6:21—“But that you also may know my affairs & how I am doing, Tychicus, a beloved brother & faithful minister in the Lord, will make all things known to you;”
2Tim. 4:12—“And Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus.”
“Be diligent to come to me at Nicopolis”
Nicopolis:
There were no less than nine cities named Nicopolis(‘City of Victory’). Probably is the one on the west coast of Achaia(a southern province of Greece). Located on the far southwestern tip of Epiris(Province of Greece). Specifically on a peninsula separating the Ambraciot Gulf(bay) from the Ionian Sea-Adriatic Sea. Crete was SE. Founded by Octavian(Augustus Caesar) after his defeat of Marc Antony & Cleopatra at the battle of Actium in 31 BC.
“For I have decided to spend the winter there.”
Paul expects Titus to put forward his best effort in reaching him in Nicopolis. Paul will “winter” there. The wording suggests that Paul is not yet there as of this writing. Therefore he must be free at this point in his ministry.
Travel is limited in winter as weather is inclement, rain may make passage difficult, the ocean may have contrary & inconsistent winds.
Acts 27:12-ff.—In winter, Paul’s journey to Rome took an unintended detour to the island of Malta at the expense of the entire ship. (CONT...)1—Christian teamwork is typified in its satisfying...
Christian LIMITATION(:12)
Argumentation:
Refreshment signifies weariness/tiredness
Prov. 25:13—“Like the cold of snow in time of harvest Is a faithful messenger to those who send him, For he refreshes the soul of his masters.”
Rom. 15:30-32—“Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ, & through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in prayers to God for me, that I may be delivered from those in Judea who do not believe, & that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, that I may come to you with joy by the will of God, & may be refreshed together with you.”
1Cor. 16:17-18—“I am glad about the coming of Stephanas, Fortunatus, & Achaicus, for what was lacking on your part they supplied. For they refreshed my spirit & yours. Therefore acknowledge such men.”
2Cor. 7:12-13—“Therefore, although I wrote to you, I did not do it for the sake of him who had done the wrong, nor for the sake of him who suffered wrong, but that our care for you in the sight of God might appear to you. Therefore we have been comforted in your comfort. And we rejoiced exceedingly more for the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all.”
Phm 4-7—“I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers, hearing of your love & faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus & toward all the saints, that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. For we have great joy & consolation in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother.”
2Tim. 1:16-18—“The Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me, & was not ashamed of my chain; but when he arrived in Rome, he sought me out very zealously & found me. The Lord grant to him that he may find mercy from the Lord in that Day--& you know very well how many ways he ministered to me at Ephesus.”
Embarrassment @ someone’s actions or situation(“chain”) can keep us from ministry to that very person. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Illustration:
VBS/An excellent opportunity to reach kids with the Gospel during their summer time off from school/LIMITATION Satisfied
Every church needs many people to swap-off the work load. Both staff & volunteers.
Application:
?You helped to satisfy Christian LIMITATION?
?You a partner in Christian Teamwork?
2—Christian teamwork is typified in its satisfying...
Christian EQUIPPING(:13)
Explanation:(:13)Supply the need
:13—“Send Zenas the lawyer & Apollos on their journey with haste, that they may lack nothing.”
Both Zenas & Apollos were either about to undertake an assignment which would require extensive travel &/or stay OR they were already in-route somewhere & needed to be sustained & continued by Titus in Crete—thru the churches.
“Send Zenas the lawyer & Apollos”
Zenas:“Zenas” = "Jupiter"
No other mention in Scripture. As a lawyer, he was either a Jewish expert in the Mosaic Law or a Roman litigator.
Apollos:
In Greek & Roman mythology Apollos is the patron of Delphi(Pythian Apollo), Apollo was an oracular god—the prophetic deity of the Delphic Oracle. Medicine & healing were associated with Apollo. Apollo has been variously recognized as a god of light & the sun; truth & prophecy; medicine, healing, & plague; music, poetry, & the arts; & more.
*What a blessing of God to use a former pagan—named for one who spoke for the pantheon of gods—to faithfully proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ!
Apollos was “eloquent” Jewish preacher from Alexandria, Egypt(a city of great Jewish population & influence). Priscilla(Prisca) & Aquila heard Apollos speaking in the the Ephesian synagogue & explained the way of the Lord moreperfectly so that he refuted the Jews publically, using their own Scriptures.
Apollos was so eloquent that some at Corinth had become followers of Apollos rather than followers of Christ. The ‘faith‘ of the church had gravitated beyond faith in Christ to become based on the skill, charisma, &/or style of particular speakers/preachers/leadership. How sad for a ‘church’ to be recognized for such petty divisiveness rather than for commitment to the Christ of God.
Acts 18:24-28—“Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man & mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; & being fervent in spirit, he spoke & taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John. So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila & Priscilla heard him, they took him aside & explained to him the way of God more accurately. And when he desired to cross to Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him; & when he arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace; for he vigorously refuted the Jews publicly, showing from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ.”
1Cor. 1:12-17—“Now I say this, that each of you says, “I am of Paul,” or “I am of Apollos,” or “I am of Cephas,” or “I am of Christ.” Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus & Gaius, lest anyone should say that I had baptized in my own name. Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas. Besides, I do not know whether I baptized any other. For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.”
“Eloquent”—logiov—1) Learned, a man of letters, skilled in literature & the arts, esp. versed in history& the antiquities; 2) Skilled in speech, eloquent; 3) Rational, wise.
“Send Zenas the lawyer & Apollos on their journey with haste, that they may lack nothing.”
“Send...on their Journey”—propempw—Strong—To send forward, i.e. Escort or aid in travel:-- accompany, bring (forward) on journey (way), conduct forth.
“Haste/diligently”—spoudaiwv—1) Hastily, with haste; 2) Diligently; 3) Earnestly.
“Lack/Wanting”—leipw—1) To leave, leave behind, forsake, to be left behind; 2) To bewanting, to fail. Strong—To leave, i.e. (intransitively or passively) To fail or be absent:-- Be destitute (wanting), lack.
“Nothing”—mhden—Adj.—Nobody, no one, nothing.
Argumentation:
Eph 4:7-16—“But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore He says: “When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men.” (Now this, “He ascended”--what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.) And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, & some pastors & teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith & of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to & fro & carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ-- from whom the whole body, joined & knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.”
1Cor. 12:7—“But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:”
Rom. 12:4-8—“For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, & individually members of one another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.”
In order to accomplish these things in the fullness of Christ, the church must equip & support it!
Eph. 4:15-16—“but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ-- from whom the whole body, joined & knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.”
Lk. 10:1-7—“After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, & sent them two by two before His face into every city & place where He Himself was about to go. Then He said to them, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves. Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; & greet no one along the road. But whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you. And remain in the same house, eating & drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not go from house to house.”
Illustration:
International Mission Board is a fantastic sending agency for SBC Missionaries/Supported fully from the get-go so they are: 1)Trained adequately for their specific mission & 2)Free to fulfill the mission to which God called them—They are definitely Not ill-equipped & not fund-raisers!/EQUIPPING Satisfied
It is pitiful to see what disconnected missionaries must do with their precious time.
Application:
?You helped to satisfy Christian EQUIPPING?
?You a partner in Christian Teamwork?
3—Christian teamwork is typified in its satisfying...
Christian FRUITFULNESS(:14)
Explanation:(:14)
:14—“And let our people also learn to maintain good works, to meet urgent needs, that they may not be unfruitful.”
After detailing some of the leadership needs in the itinerant ministry, Paul then turns his attention to the Christians in general. He tells Titus that the Christians were to “maintain good works.” This he had stated previously in his “faithful saying” of 3:8—
“This is a faithful saying, & these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good & profitable to men.”
This maintenance of good works in their private lives is particularly expressed thru meeting “urgent needs.” These behaviors among Christians ensures that they will be fruitful—honoring Christ in every deed. It is a disgrace for Christians to be “unfruitful.” A fruit tree which will not bear is useless in that it does not fulfill that for which it was attained.
“Learn”—manyanw— To learn, be appraised—1a) To increase one's knowledge, to be increased in knowledge, 1b) To hear, be informed, 1c) To learn by use & practice, 1c1) To be in the habit of, accustomed to.
“Maintain/Engage/Devote”—proisthmi—To set or place before. Strong—To stand before, i.e. (in rank) to preside, or (by implication) to practice:-- Maintain, be over, rule.
“Good”—kalov—1) Beautiful, handsome, excellent, eminent, choice, surpassing, precious, useful, suitable, commendable, admirable. It means beautiful, physically or morally. It is, however, distinctly the beauty which comes from harmony, the beauty which arises from a symmetrical adjustment in right proportion—from the harmonious completeness of the object concerned.
“Urgent”—anagkaiov—Adj.—Necessary.
Urgent Needs—Single parents, Children, Billes, Medical visits, Food, Clothing, Transportation, Work, etc.
“Needs”—creia—1) Necessity, need; 2) Duty, business. Strong—Employment, i.e. An affair; also (by implication) Occasion, demand, requirement or destitution:-- Business, lack, necessary(-ity), need(-ful), use, want.
“Unfruitful”—akarpov—metaph. Without fruit, barren, not yielding what it ought to yield .
From 3:8—
“Careful”—frontizw—V.—1) To think, to be careful; 2) To be thoughtful or anxious. From — frhn—N.— ‘Understanding.” The midriff or diaphragm, the parts of the heart; 2) The mind—2a) the faculty of perceiving & judging.
“Profitable”—wfelimov—Adj.—Profitable. From —wfelew—N.—1) To assist, to be useful or advantageous, to profit. Used 4 X.
Argumentation:
Fruitfulness:
Gal. 5:19-25—“Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, & the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions & desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”
Eph 5:8-10—“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, & truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.”
Mat. 3:7-8—“But when he saw many of the Pharisees & Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? “Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance,”
Mat. 7:15-20—““Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down & thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.”
Mat. 13:18-23—““Therefore hear the parable of the sower: “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, & does not understand it, then the wicked one comes & snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word & immediately receives it with joy; “yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, & the cares of this world & the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, & he becomes unfruitful. But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word & understands it, who indeed bears fruit & produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.””
Lk. 13:6-9—“He also spoke this parable: “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, & he came seeking fruit on it & found none. Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, ‘Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree & find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?’ But he answered & said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it & fertilize it. And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.’””
*Jn. 15:1-8—““I am the true vine, & My Father is the vinedresser. “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; & every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, & I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, & I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch & is withered; & they gather them & throw them into the fire, & they are burned. If you abide in Me, & My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, & it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.”
Gal. 6:10—“Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.”
Rom. 7:4—“Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another--to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God.”
Illustration:
Seagrove, NC/Promotes itself by what it had in small amounts at first/It is known by its handcrafted pottery/Attracts potters of all stripes/Today it has the highest concentration of potters in the entire US/People come from all over the world to experience the unique, handcrafted products & learn their techniques/FRUITFULNESS Satisfied
Application:
?You helped to satisfy Christian FRUITFULNESS?
?You a partner in Christian Teamwork?
4—Christian teamwork is typified in its satisfying...
Christian FRIENDSHIPS / FAMILY(:15)
Explanation:(:15)
:15—“All who are with me greet you. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all. Amen.”
GREETINGS:
“All who are with me greet you.”
Those with Paul send greetings to all with Titus. This must have been of some encouragement to them, knowing that others were concerned & caring enough to extend their recognition of their work in Christ.
“Greet”—aspazomai—Present Deponent Indicative 3rd person Plural—To draw to one's self. Strong—To enfold in the arms, i.e. (by implication) To salute, (figuratively) To welcome:-- Embrace, greet, salute, take leave. From —spaw—1)To draw or 2) Draw out one’s sword. A salutation was made not merely by a slight gesture & a few words, but generally by embracing & kissing, a journey was retarded frequently by greeting.
“Greet those who love us in the faith.”
Titus is to personally “greet” those who had affection for Paul & those associated with him.
“Love”—filew—1) To love—1a) To approve of, 1b) To like, 1c) Sanction, 1d) To treat affectionately or kindly, to welcome, befriend; 2) To show signs of love—2a) To kiss; 3) To be fond of doingStrong—To be a friend to (fond of [an individual or an object]), i.e. Have affection for (denoting personal attachment, as a matter of sentiment or feeling.
Some of the best friends you will ever have are those who serve side-by-side with you. People are more important than programs. Paul does not tell the church to keep programs going but to keep friendships fresh.—Brian Bill 2004, sermoncentral.com.
GRACE:
“Grace be with you all. Amen.”
Paul extends God’s overarching “grace” to them all, that they may be able to function to the glory of God Almighty, the God of all grace & comfort. Likewise, Paul sees the need not only for Titus, but the whole church, to have God’s grace present with them at all times.
“Amen”—amhn—1) Firm—1a) metaph. Faithful; 2) Verily, amen—2a) at the beginning of a discourse - Surely, truly, of a truth, 2b) At the end - So it is, so be it, may it be fulfilled. It was a custom, which passed over from the synagogues to the Christian assemblies, that when he who had read or discoursed, had offered up solemn prayer to God, the others responded Amen, & thus made the substance of what was uttered their own. From Hebrew—Nma 'amen—Verily, truly, amen, so be it. The word is directly related -- in fact, almost identical -- to the Hebrew word for "believe" (amam), or faithful. Thus, it came to mean "sure" or "truly", an expression of absolute trust & confidence.
Argumentation:
Eph. 4:4-7—“There is one body & one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God & Father of all, who is above all, & through all, & in you all. But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.”
1Cor. 16:7—“For I do not wish to see you now on the way; but I hope to stay a while with you, if the Lord permits.”
Mat. 12:47-50—“Then one said to Him, “Look, Your mother & Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You.” But He answered & said to the one who told Him, “Who is My mother & who are My brothers?” And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples & said, “Here are My mother & My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother & sister & mother.””
Lk. 6:41-42—““And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, & then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother’s eye.”
*1Thess. 4:9—“But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another;”
*1Tim. 5:1-2—“Do not rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger as sisters, with all purity.”
We are family. Christians are family...We love one another, Care for one another, Lean upon one another, Help one another up, Are concerned for one another.
Heb. 13:1—“Let brotherly love continue.”
*1Pet. 2:17—“Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.”
1Pet. 3:8-9—“Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.”
2Pet. 1:5-9—“But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, & to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours & abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, & has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.”
1Jn. 3:17—“But whoever has this world’s goods, & sees his brother in need, & shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?”
1Jn. 4:21—“And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.”
Heb 2:11—“For both He who sanctifies & those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren,”
1Cor. 1:10—“Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, & that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind & in the same judgment.”
2Thess. 3:6—“But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly & not according to the tradition which he received from us.”
1Jn. 3:16—“By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.”
Php 2:1-5—“Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,”
Illustration:
Firemen/See each other every day/They face danger every day/They work well as a unit—what one is unable to do the other is equipped to do well & vice-versa/They become friends/Their families become close/FRIENDSHIPS / FAMILY
Christians share the same camaraderie, because we share like values & work side-by-side together/FRIENDSHIPS / FAMILY
Application:
?You helped to satisfy Christian FRIENDSHIPS / FAMILY?
?You a partner in Christian Teamwork?
CONCLUSION:
Action:
1—Christian LIMITATION(:12)
2—Christian EQUIPPING(:13)
3—Christian FRUITFULNESS(:14)
4—Christian FRIENDSHIPS /FAMILY(:15)
Presented 08/22/2010pm to:
Needmore Baptist Church
11620 Mt. Vernon Rd.
Woodleaf, NC 27054
