A Bible Study by Adam Osborne, Jr. HOWEVER, I did NOT create this from scratch. This is an outline of a sermon that pastor Greg Wrigley, DD, preached at Orange Avenue Baptist Church in Green Cove Springs, FL.. Greg preached this “sometime” in early 1990’s…exact date unknown.
- Continued growth in numbers.
- Continued spiritual growth for all members; teachers; counselors.
- Continued building expansion to meet congregational growth.
- On going training for all workers.
- Meet the needs of the members and the community: singles classes, young adults, divorced members classes, counseling, financial counseling, etc.
- Witnessing to the community.
- Different ways of fulfilling “The Great Commission”.
Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
- This is a promise for members of Christ’s church to receive power to do his work. God will empower his workers. You don’t have to be able, just available…. and he will do the rest.
- The people you witness to will also recieve POWER: people do not have the power to believe; the power of faith; God gives it to them. It is Him who puts his will in our hearts, not us. When we witness to others, we are opening the door. The person we are witnessing to must receive the message, ask him in, and he will give them knowledge, wisdom and understanding of Himself and his will.
EPH 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; (12) For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: (13) Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
- God gave us pastors, teachers, evangelists. His plan was for them, as church body members, to help us learn and grow spiritually. They are to teach us how to pray, how to become more faithful.
- God gave them to us to teach us how to become and then begin to act more like Jesus.That is God’s plan for His church.
Matt 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. (19) Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: (20) Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
- God gave all power to Jesus.As Christians, Jesus lives within each and every one of us. As Christians, we are all a part of Jesus’ body, so we too have POWER because Jesus gives it to us to do his will.
- Remember, we, the many Christians, make up God’s church.
- the angels
- HEB 1:14 (speaking of angels) Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?
- MT 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
- God did it all for us.He called us, justified us, and glorified us through Jesus Christ! Who can be against God’s church and succeed? NO ONE.
- We are God’s creation. He freely gave us our eternal salvation. We should use it to glorify him and do his works.
- Our purpose for ourselves and this church, is to fulfill the great commission. To go out to the community, the world, and tell people about Jesus.
- We tell people about Jesus by living and doing what Jesus commanded us to do.
- Working together as ONE, just as we are one with Jesus, we can achieve his will.
- We are not individualists working without God or working without the Church. We cannot succeed on our own. God did not put us here just to help ourselves and no one else.
- God’s church needs workers. Pray daily for the workers of the church. Also pray that God will provide more workers. Is there something you can do for the glory of God’s church?
- Do you go out and bad-mouth other church members? Do you preach something else different that what the church teaches?
- Do you bad-mouth other denominations?
God’s plan for his church is to be ONE, all the same.
1 Corinth 3:1-9 (NIV) Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly-mere infants in Christ. (2) I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. (3)You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men? For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere men? (5) What after all is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe – as the Lord has assigned to each his task. (6) I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. (7) So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. (8) The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. (9) For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field. God’s building.1 Corinth 12:14-27 For the body is not one member, but many. (15) If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? (16) And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? (17) If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? (18) But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. (19) And if they were all one member, where were the body? (20) But now are they many members, yet but one body. (21) And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. (22) Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: (23) And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.(24) For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked. (25) That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. (26) And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. (27) Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
promises
Nothing will EVER take over God’s church. It can not happen, has not happened, and will NEVER happen. God has provided permanent protection for his church so we should be out doing his business, fearing nothing.
RO 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. (29) For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers (30). And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. (31) What then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?
Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (9) Not of works, lest any man should boast. (10) For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Work together as the body of Christ
1 Corinth 12:27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.(28) And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
Luke 10:2 Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.
1 Corinth 1:10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.