Runt
Story of Preacher and Farmer with runt pig.
Could we be the runt?
Paul wrote to Timothy: Be thou an example of the believers in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”
Would we be a good example?
In purity:
jokes
(Pure heart-from the heart, the mouth…)
Eph 5:1-8
In faith:
Heb. 5:9 “And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.”
Matt 17:20 “faith as a grain of mustard seed”
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthen me.”
When trouble or anger come, what do we do?
Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for food to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
In spirit:
Rom. 8:1 “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the spirit.”
Eph 5:9-21
In charity:
Love “speak with tongues of angels”
“Love one another…”
“Love the Lord with all…”
They say Love begins in the home.
Eph 5:21-33
Eph 6:1-4
In conversation:
Manner of life. Our Manner.
Heb 10:25 “not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”
Our manner to promise and not keep.
Ecc 5:4-7 “speak truth and lie not”
In word:
“yea and nay”
Col 4:6 “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.”
I Peter 3:15-17
“Let the word of God dwell in you richly…”
2 Tim. 2:15 “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Eph. 5:26-27 Spoke of a church without spot or wrinkle.
Could it be that a congregation could be a “runt” among the Churches of Christ?
Not the size.
I Cor 14:25 “…and so falling down on his face, he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.”
Corinthian church was divided – some followed Paul, some Apollos.
“Is Christ divided?”
“Be of one mind.”
“No shism in the body.”
“Gossip”
Problems in common service:
I Cor 10:16 “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?
They were eating a meal, getting drunk, not waiting. No severance!
I Cor 11:24-29
Problems in assembly:
I Cor 14:40 “Let all things be done decently and in order”
I Cor 14:19-20 They didn’t understand about tongue speaking.
I Cor 13:8-13
Acts 8:4-80 Pattern
Acts 6:5-6 Phillip
They didn’t understand about reverence and order.
