Courage to Reach out to Others

JOSH. 1:1-9 

1.   Courage is Require to Face and Endure the Times of Difficulty.

In many ways, hard times of trouble are like boot camp; it is rigorous, painful, and challenging. Adversity causes us to adopt new routines and habits, to develop aspects of our being—physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual—that might have been undeveloped or underdeveloped previously. Troubles sometimes puts us under the authority of people who affect our lives in ways that are foreign to us. In all these areas, we need courage to keep our balance as we feel hit by so many new feelings, facts, restrictions or limitations, obstacles and challenges, and offerings of advice and help.

2.  Courage is Required to Make the Necessary Personal Changes in Times of Difficulty.

Courage is required not only to face and endure times of adversity, but also to make the changes in our lives that adversity compels us to make. In either case, we can trust the Holy Spirit to help us in times of adversity and to grow and change so that we live in keeping with the example set by Jesus Christ.

3.  Joshua Knew about Adversity and Times of Difficulty.

Certainly, forty years of wandering in a wilderness qualified him to understand hardship, trials, and troubles—physical, relational, spiritual, and no doubt emotional and mental pain. Joshua also knew that the Lord was with him and his people. As a close associate of Moses, Joshua had grown in his faith and leadership abilities. The time came for the people of God to cross the Jordan River and inhabit the land of promise, and Joshua was named the leader to succeed Moses.

4.  Three Times, the Lord Spoke to Joshua about Courage:

Joshua 1:6-7, Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. [7] Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.

  

Joshua 1:9, Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

Note the three things that required courage of Joshua: (1) to make decisions that affected other people under his leadership {vs. 6}, (2) to keep the laws and commandments, even as changes were occurring {vs. 7}, and (3) to remember continually that the Lord was with him {vs. 9}, the implication being despite what circumstances might indicate to the contrary.

2 Tim. 1:7, For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

We need courage in the same three areas of our lives as we face adversity.

LESSON:

COURAGE TO REACH OUT AND TOUCH OTHER LIVES

Reaching Out to Others Takes Courage

Joshua 1:6, Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.

REALIZE THAT GOD GIVES US COURAGE TO HELP OTHERS

We need God's wisdom to know how to deal with people. Our times of heartache almost always involve people we love.

Courage to Help When I Need Help

We need courage to get beyond our pain and help our children, parents, spouses, associates, and other loved ones and colleagues to cope with the pain they also are likely to be feeling. It takes tremendous inner fortitude to get beyond ourselves—to put aside our inner hurt and frustration—and to be concerned about others when we are sick, facing a loss, or in emotional turmoil. Yet, that is precisely what the Lord wants us to do. That's why the Lord gives us courage.  

RECEIVE GOD’S BLESSINGS AS YOU GIVE OF YOURSELF

In fact, in getting outside ourselves and helping others in need we often find the strength to get through adversity.

Getting Help As I Give Help!

Time and again, I've watched people who were going through hard times reach out to help those who were hurting just as much as they were—although perhaps in a different way—and have seen them benefit, not from what they received from others, but from what they gave to others. This principle of God defies human reasoning, but it is absolutely true in God's kingdom.  The worse thing we can do is shut ourselves off from everyone else because we are afraid!

Luke 6:38, Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

We assume that when we give, we have less than we had before. But in God's eyes, when we give, we open ourselves up to receiving in a way that results in a blessing, both materially and spiritually.

Just when you think you have nothing to give, that's the time to give! It takes courage to do so!  

The Lord promises to give you that courage. Ask Him to help you, to guide you, and to show you the person or people to whom you should give. Ask Him to reveal to you the best gift possible, in the best timing and for the best results.           

1.  Touch Lives Through Fervent Prayer.

James 5:16, Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

2.  Touch Lives Through Service and Ministry.

Luke 22:26, But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.

3.  Touch Lives Through Doing Good Deeds.

Romans 12:21, Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. 

Self-examination should not be limited to areas of sinfulness or pride; it may also involve areas of weakness we need to strengthen and develop.  Fear is often a natural response to difficulties, and troubling circumstances.  But God wants us to use these challenges to grow in the areas of courage, hope, and faith.  Remember we should never waste an adversity. Learn all you can from each one. Realize that you can grow when you are willing to examine yourself closely and make the necessary changes.

When troubles come your way, look inward to see what God is trying to show you about yourself.  Use these self-evaluations to identify areas which need improvement and refinement.  In this respect Difficulties can be used to your advantage to further your spiritual progress in the Lord.   

Real Evidence of Salvation

1THESS. 1:3-4

Theme: The Church of the Thessalonians is a positive example because the members gave evidence of real spiritual life and salvation. As such they provide us with a wonderful model to follow.

Introduction:  

1Thes 1:3, Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father; 4, Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.

Why did Paul claim he knew their “election of God”? How could he confidently state he ‘knew’ someone else is actually saved? Today we commonly hear believers say, “I cannot see another person’s heart…if they profess to be saved then I am inclined to believe them.” Others have said it differently, “The only person I know for certain is saved is me.”  In contrast, Paul knew that these Thessalonians were saved! What did he know that we have perhaps overlooked?

The simple answer is Paul saw how much the Gospel of Jesus Christ had impacted their daily lives! A changed life is still a powerful argument for the reality of salvation. Just take a look at 1 Thessalonians 1:9, where Paul testifies to how significantly different their lives were in Christ saying, “For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God” (1 Thes 1:9). 

Literally, they were not who they use to be, and they did not live the way they once did! You see, the person who claims to be one of God’s people, but whose life has not changed, is only fooling himself. Beloved, God changes every person He chooses! Paul could see the difference Jesus makes in a life. Now, I must hasten to say, that all of this does not suggest believers are perfect or sinless, but this truth asserts that God’s life in real believers will show up! In great darkness, light will be more than evident, and in corrupt cultures, integrity is certain to stand out.

So what specifically did Paul witness in the lives of these believers at Thessalonica? Actually, faith, hope, and love are the three prime qualities of the Christian life; they are real evidences of salvation. Evidence is “the available body of facts or information indicating whether a belief or proposition is true or valid.” Consider then how these three characteristics stood out among these believers.

Message:

Paul Remembers Their Work of Faith (Vs. 3)

Yes, an important evidence of real salvation is faith in action and service to Christ Jesus.

A. Their Conversion Was By Faith (Acts 17:1-4; 2Thess 2:13-14; Jn. 6:28, 29).

          1. “In this sense, faith is an act or deed. But it is not toil by which a man earns merit or in which he can boast. In fact, it is the only work that man can perform without robbing Christ of His glory as Savior and without denying his own status as a helpless sinner. Faith is a non-meritorious work by which the creature acknowledges his Creator and the sinner acknowledges his Savior.” –MacDonald, William

           2.    1Thess 1:9, mentions that they had turned to the true God from idols.

a.      Faith in Christ had produced true repentance.

b.      “Evangelical repentance consists of (1) a true sense of one’s own guilt and sinfulness; (2) an apprehension of God’s mercy in Christ; (3) an actual hatred of sin (Ps. 119:128; Job 42:5, 6; 2 Cor. 7:10) and turning from it to God; and (4) a persistent endeavour after a holy life in walking with God in the way of his commandments.” –Easton, M.G.: Easton's Bible Dictionary

c.      If the Thessalonians had continued to worship their dead idols while professing faith in the living God, it would have been proof positive that they were not among God’s people.

B.  They Also Lived and Worked By Faith.

         1.      They were performing important works produced by faith in Christ.

a.      Faith must always lead to works of service (James 2:14–26).

b.      It has been said, “We are not saved by faith plus works, but by a faith that works.”

c.      Though believers are saved through faith alone (Eph 2:9) that faith should produce good works in each of us. We work not to be saved but because we are saved.

         2.     The work is through our churches and for the kingdom of God. The character of that work will be different for every believer, but the motivation (faith) and the desire (to bring more people to saving faith) are the same.

a.      When we give to missions to start new churches, it is a work of faith.  When we share the Gospel and distribute tracts, it is a work of faith.  When we teach, preach, parent, and serve these are works of faith.  When we bring people to church it’s a work of faith.

b.      To do work produced by faith does not mean that new believers have to leave their jobs and become full-time Christian workers. Believers can work for the kingdom in almost any vocation, for as we rub shoulders with nonbelievers, we can have a positive impact for Christ. Our faith in him prompts our work for him in our present vocations.

c.      Remember, we may not see the results or the immediate fruit of all our work, but we are to continue to work in faith without becoming discouraged.

i.      Isa 55:11, So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

ii.      Isa 46:10,  Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:

iii.      This is a tremendous trait in a strong church!

Anyone may claim to have faith in Jesus Christ as Savior, but what about us? Are we motivated to promote his kingdom, advance God’s will, or spread Christ’s gospel?  

Paul Remembers Their Labor of Love (Vs 3)

Another viable evidence of authentic salvation is laboring motivated by godly love.

A.      Love Is an Evidence of Salvation: “the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us” (Rom. 5:5). We are “taught of God to love one another” (1 Thes. 4:9).

1.      2 Cor 5:14-15, For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: 15, And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. (See Rom 5:8)

2.      Christ-like love presses and compels us to serve (Acts 18:5).

B.      Love Is A Motive For Service. They were motivated to serve God because they love the Lord Jesus. We serve Christ because we love Him; this is a “labor of love.” “If ye love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15).

1.      They performed labor prompted by love for Christ. This consisted in their serving the true and living God (v. 9) in the midst of persecution (v. 6).

2.      Heb 6:10, For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

3.      Why is it that Missionaries say good-bye to their parents, Pastor, Church, Family and Friends and go half way around the world to reach a people that really don’t want them there?  How is it that they stay in the work for years, and decades without complaining.  Because it’s a labor of love!

C.       Love Also Motivates Believers To Work Hard.

1.      Note the contrast between work and labor. Whereas work may be pleasant and stimulating, labor often involves strenuous effort to the point of fatigue and even exhaustion.

2.      Labor is toil, or wearisome effort, generally. Labor denotes not so much the actual exertion which a man makes, but the weariness which he experiences from that exertion. Labor speaks of what Christians ought to render to the Lord as labor in the Christian ministry (John 4:38; 1Cor 3:8; 15:58; 2Cor 6:5; 10:15; 11:23, 27).

3.      Unsaved people live for themselves (Eph. 2:1–2), but as true believers we are willing to toil because of love. We have a new motive for living; we love Christ and love others (Heb. 10:24–25).

D.      Love Should Compel Us to Serve; not cheap motives for profit (money, fame, self-glory, prestige, or personal honor ect.)

1.      MISSIONARIES TO JAPAN—BRO. & SIS. FENCH (71 yrs old)

2.      MISSIONARIES TO ZIARE, AFRICA—BRO. & SIS. DEAL (72 yrs old).  No doubt these missionaries were driven by the love of Christ!

A person may claim to love Jesus Christ, but what about us? When serving in Christ’s church becomes labor—real work, do we begin to back off or conveniently shifts our priorities?

Paul Remembers Their Patience of Hope Vs 3

The final evidence of real salvation in this passage is hope that sustains patience.

A.       They Steadfastly Waited For the Lord Jesus to Return

1.      “This speaks of their steadfast waiting for Jesus. They had been undergoing persecution as a result of their valiant stand for Christ. But no cracks had appeared in what Phillips calls their “sheer dogged endurance.” –MacDonald, William

2.      The believers at Thessalonica fixed their hope solidly on the return of Jesus Christ (v. 10).  –Nelson Study Bible

B.      This Is the True Hope of Believers—the Coming of Christ in the Rapture. This is mentioned at the closing of each chapter of this book.

1.      “To wait for His Son from Heaven” (1:10)

2.      “in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming” (2:19)

3.      “at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints” (3:13)

4.      “caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air” (4:17)

5.      “I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blamless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (5:23)

C.       This Hope Is The Third Evidence Of Salvation, Waiting For Jesus Christ To Return (1 Thes. 1:10).

1.      The return of Jesus Christ is the dominant theme of both of both Thessalonian letters. Unsaved people are not eagerly awaiting the Lord’s return. In fact, when our Lord catches His saints up into the air, unsaved people will be totally surprised (1 Thes. 5:1–11). Let us be watchful for our Lord’s coming in the rapture for we know not when He will return for us.

2.      Faith, hope, and love are evidences of genuine salvation. These spiritual qualities are bound together and can come only from God (1 Cor 13:13; Rom 5:1–5; Gal 5:5–6; Col 1:4–5; Heb 6:10–12; 10:22–24; 1 Pet 1:21–22).

D.      They Could Patiently Endure the Suffering and Persecution in Light of the Lord’s Return

1.      “Patience” or endurance is “a bearing up continually and cheerfully under a heavy load” (2 Thes. 1:4).

2.      Such patience is inspired by hope in Christ. Specifically waiting for God’s Son from heaven (1 Thes. 1:10). This is why Paul kept this encouraging theme before them—he knew it would help them endure the pains they were facing.

3.      The lost have no hope. Believers have endurance in life’s trials because we know Christ is coming again. We need not give up in times of trial because we know the Savior is coming to deliver us (1 Pet 1:1–9; 4:12–16).

An individual may claim to hope in Jesus Christ as the one in control of his or her life, but what about us? When faced with difficulty or disappointment, do you endure in the faith or basically turns away in frustration?

Beloved, these three fundamental virtues should mark every genuine child of God—faith, love, and hope (1 Cor. 13:13). They testify to the reality that these Thessalonian were truly saved people. Paul knew they were saved because of the changes in their lives. God’s life was demonstratively evident in these Thessalonian believers. Faith, hope, and love must result in work, labor, and patience that will motivate us throughout life—signifying that we really “got the goods” when we trusted the Savior. How are faith, hope, and love evident in you?

The Effective Pastor's Impact

Ephesians 4:11-16

Pastors are given to churches as gifts to bring the members into spiritual maturity (Vs. 11).  A pastor, with his pastoral staff, who is effective as an overseer and shepherd will certainly make this passage a reality (Eph. 4:11-16). In addition, he must be vested with the Spiritual Gifts and Maturity to lead and serve the church as Pastor.  Success in churches is often measured by attendance, money, and facilities.  This is actually rank worldliness, unvarnished shallowness, and fleshly carnality.  There is nothing truly spiritual about these matters...they are simply manmade metrics to a large degree. Some will point to a few passages in the Bible to defend their use of these measures, but the truth is any company, organization, or religious group can brag about the same type of statistics. These measures do not include anything inherently supernatural or God-wrought! Well then...what does God actually require? How can a faithful pastor gauge whether or not he is having a God-honoring impact? Notice the marks of the effective pastor according to God’s view:

     1.  The Church Will Be Spiritually Prepared and Well Trained.   Vs 12,  For the perfecting of the saints . . . .

The gift-people/leaders are to prepare God’s people for works of service.  That is the equipment of all God's people in the church for ministry.   The idea is "to prepare" or "to put right."  The thought is applied to surgery in the setting of a broken bone, to the mending of nets (Matt 4:21) and the restoration of the back-slider (Gal 6:1).  Such preparation is the work and service of the pastor. The pastor literally trains the deacons, trustees, preacher boys, Sunday School teachers, ushers, treasurers, and Children’s church workers.  Leaders are not to do all the work of the ministry; leaders are to prepare the members to minister.

Remember the old TV show Six Million Dollar Man? Think about how he was basically rendered a paralytic as a result of a space shuttle crash upon return from space.  But the doctors used high tech equipment to rebuild and reconstruct him... to make him better than ever before. This is the idea behind the pastor’s ministry of taking people who have been paralyzed and broken by sin, leading them to Christ; then with the Word of God rebuilding them and making them productive for the Lord Jesus Christ.

     2.  The Church Will Be Serving and Working Effectively.     Vs 12,  for the work of the ministry

It is here that we have often missed the implications of the body of Christ portrait, and developed congregational patterns that deny rather than express what the church is. All too often leaders are hired by a congregation to do the “work of the ministry.” The pastor is expected to teach. To evangelize. To counsel. To visit the sick. To pray with the discouraged. If the church grows in size and new members are added, it is taken as an indication that their local congregation is healthy and the minister is doing his job. If the church fails to grow or the budget is not met, the one to blame is the minister. After all, he was hired by the church to minister.

How different is this modern view from the Bible’s portrait of a living body! In a living organism, every cell contributes. The body’s health depends on each member fulfilling its special function. No one person can carry out the functions of the living organism the Scripture describes. No one person or team of paid professionals was ever intended to. The role of leaders within the church has always been to help the members of the body grow in capacity to minister; to help each individual find and use his or her spiritual gifts. The role of leaders has always been to lead all believers into a fulfilling life of service.  This is the key to effective ministry and healthy church life—good food and plenty of exercise will keep a body healthy and strong.

When we miss this, and put the ministry of the church onto the professional, we have lost sight of who we are. The local congregation becomes weak, unable to respond as a healthy body to the directions of its Head.

     3.  The Church Will Be Built Up Spiritually and Numerically. Vs 12,  the edifying of the body of Christ:

The first ministry of believers is to other believers.  Spiritual growth in house supercedes numerical growth through reaching out.

A son of about five years old, wanted to mow the family lawn. They had a push mower then. The kind in which the blades moved only when the wheels moved, and the wheels were moved by people power. Well, little Paul pushed and strained—and finally found an answer. He leaned on the handle, lifted the wheels off the ground, and easily moved the mower on just the back roller! How busy he looked, chugging up and down across the lawn. And how little grass he cut!

After a while, the father would explain. “Soon, Paul, you’ll grow, and then you’ll be able to make those blades turn. Then you can help a lot.” (Wiersbe)

How often in the church we concentrate on organizing spiritual five-year-olds to push better lawn mowers, and wonder why so little of God’s grass gets cut! The church is called to first be “edified” and “grow up into Him in all things, which is the Head, even Christ” (v. 15). Maturing within the body, growing more and more like Jesus, is the believer’s first calling. To equip the church for service, believers must minister to one another first and then to the world.

Do not misunderstand: this focus on building one another up is not “selfish.” It is essential. Only as we grow toward maturity together can we respond fully to Jesus as He directs us to serve in the world. Only a strong and healthy body can carry out the tasks assigned to it in evangelism and missions. Our effectiveness in communicating the Gospel and the love of God to the world around us depends on our growth toward maturity. This kind of growth takes place as we—members together of one body—build each other up in love, each part doing its own ministering work (vs. 16).

     4.  The Church Will Be United and Growing in Unity (Doctrine)   Vs 13,  the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God

The ultimate goal in view is the attainment of completeness in Christ.  Paul likewise insisted on the togetherness of Christians in the church in other passages (1Thess 4:15-17). In vs. 4:3 "the unity of the Spirit" is a blessing to be pursued and guarded.  Here "unity in the faith" is a goal to be pursued and reached.  Growing in unity in “the faith” deals with doctrine the true foundation of unity, not love.  You never sacrifice doctrine for some kind of false unity. Such a realization of unity will arise from an increasing knowledge of Christ as the Son of God in corporate as well as in personal experience.

     5.  The Church Will Be Focused on Spiritual Maturity and Strength.   Vs. 13,  unto a perfect man,

Vs. 15, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

It is vital that we “grow up into Him” if we are to be a valid expression of Jesus in this world. The whole body grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work and makes its valuable contribution (vs. 16).  This is sometimes hard to accept. We look at the world and are burdened by the need for evangelism. We look at the poor and are burdened by the need to help and bring relief. We look at the suffering and are impelled to comfort and to care. So sometimes we slip into the trap of organizing the local church to undertake one or more of these tasks. We program evangelistic efforts and buy more buses. We commit ourselves to an active church social life and great involvement.  All too often we lose sight of the fact that the first function of the body is to build itself spiritually.   Our goals must be to be a perfect mature strong man who can stand firm for Christ is a darkened world.  The first area of growth must be spiritual.

     6.  The Church Will Be Projecting a Combined Testimony to the Character of Christ as a Standard.    Vs 13,  unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: 

The local church as a whole is seen as "one new man" in Christ (Eph 2:15). Individualism is a mark of immaturity.  This perfection or completeness is proportionate to “the fullness of Christ” himself.  Another believer is not the standard, nor merely another church, but Christ himself is.

The “fullness of Christ” himself is the standard.  Just as Christians may be filled to the measure of “all the fullness of God" (Eph 3:19), so together we are to aspire to the full measure of perfection found in the character of Christ.  Everyone should seek moral and spiritual conformity to the image of Christ.  This is an appropriate body for a glorious Christ. (MacDonald)  

Let us project together a clear and accurate portrait of the stature and fullness of Christ’s Character.  Let us as a church assembly be conformed to His outstanding features spiritually and morally.  Just as He was Wise, Faithful, Holy, Committed, Submissive, Fervent, Compassionate, Loving, Unselfish, and Gracious so should His local churches corporately be.

     7.  The Church Will Be Stabilized by Sound Doctrine and Not Gullible.    Vs 14,  be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about                                                                                                                                         

The metaphor of maturity is carried over from vs. 13. Immaturity is avoided when we follow God’s pattern. There must be no hindrance in development among us as believers and church members.  We are to abandon childish and shallow attitudes and be our age (1 Cor. 13:11). Paul switches from one metaphor to another as he depicts the features of spiritual infants.  We cannot afford to be babes “tossed to and fro” and whirled around by every gust of fashionable false teaching. Blown here and there and feeling dizzy from the confusing effect of false doctrine. No, our goal must be to grow up!

Yes, we are to be stabilized and planted in sound doctrine which affords rock solid direction for life and practice. One of the main reasons Christians get out of sorts with the pastor is because they cannot appreciate mature wisdom and sound doctrine applied to everyday life.  Beloved, do not settle down as a mere spiritual babe– underdeveloped because of a lack of exercise in truth (Heb. 5:12). Make the choice to grow up and become a part of the stability of the church instead of being an unstable perpetual liability.

     8.  The Church Will Be Focused and Contributing in Every Subdivision.   Vs.16,  the whole body fitly joined together . . . according to the effectual working in the measure of every part . . . .

Every member involved, and making a meaningful contribution to the welfare of the church and positively impacting the community for Christ.  Each member focused on the same basic goals, priorities, and mandates.  Each member contributing according to his or her gifts and abilities effectively.  Not just busy, but accomplishing the very will of God.

     9.  The Church Will Be Growing, Increasing, and Ministering in Love to Each Other   Vs 16,   maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

There will be no compromise as to clear biblical teaching and the fundamentals of the faith.  Then there will be a right spirit of love supervising the ministry activity ensuring that there is no one-sided testimony.  Yes,  a remarkable balance between love and truth is wonderfully achieved.  Together we make a complete living organism mutually contributing and growing in harmony.  This process depends on the fact that the various parts of the body are interrelated. The whole is continually being integrated and kept firm by each separate ligament. (Walvoord)

Certainly these are the biblical marks of and effective pastor, pastoral staff and church!  Pastoral authority extends as far as is required to accomplish his great task.  Pastors must be gifted and spiritual to accomplish these great spiritual tasks.  Talent in good, but it will not get these objectives accomplished!  We are very success-oriented as Americans, and this has led to churches putting a premium on “results.” Success in the church is often measured by attendance, money, and facilities. The church with the greatest attendance, the most money, and the nicest facilities looks the most successful. Whenever a church finds a way to increase all three, that pastor is likely to be in high demand as a speaker and consultant, regardless of whether or not the church measures up to the scriptural criteria for success. (Wiersbe)

As a result, churches often put a premium on talent over godliness, ability over maturity. This has led to disastrous consequences. The Bible makes it clear that leadership in spiritual matters is not merely a matter of talent.  It is a matter of spiritual gifts and spiritual maturity (Eph. 4:11-16).  If we put those two issues first and talent second, we will find a higher level and quality of leadership being chosen for churches.

Our modern society is in desperate need of more Christ-like believers and churches. The only thing many people will ever know about God is what they see of His radiance reflected in our daily lives and collective testimony. Our ability to represent our Lord worthily is only possible through the enabling power of the Holy Spirit in the church.

This hymn text by Thomas Chisholm is one of his more than 1,200 fine poems, many of which have been set to music and have become enduring hymns of the churches. This one, published in 1897, was his first hymn to be widely received.

                                                            O TO BE LIKE THEE!

O to be like Thee! blessed Redeemer. This is my constant longing and prayer; gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures, Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

O to be like Thee! full of compassion, loving, forgiving, tender and kind; helping the helpless, cheering the fainting, seeking the wand’ring sinner to find.

O to be like Thee lowly in spirit, holy and harmless, patient and brave; meekly enduring cruel reproaches, willing to suffer others to save.

O to be like Thee! while I am pleading, pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love; make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling; fit me for life and heaven above.

Chorus: O to be like Thee! O to be like Thee, Blessed Redeemer, pure as Thou art! Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness; stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

Reflect on this statement: “He who does not long to know more of Christ really knows nothing of Him yet!”  (101 Hymn Stories)

Comprehensive Grace

God’s undeserved favor is spiritually comprehensive, all-encompassing, and fully satisfactory for all of life’s opportunities and challenges. There is absolutely no circumstance or situation we can find ourselves in that God’s grace is inadequate to address with formidable competence. The tragedy is many Believers are not aware of how all-inclusive grace truly is. We often drag on through life without the necessary power or prowess relying on mere human wit and grit. The result is a growing sense that something is missing. There is little to no challenge to discovering what God avails to us. Even a cursory reading of the Word of God, will disclose many facets of God’s all-purpose lubricant for life. It is called grace—unmerited kindness from God—and anybody breathing is eligible for it if only we humble ourselves confessing our need for more. Consider just five of many areas God’s grace, all-purpose life lubricant, is applicable.   

SAVING GRACE

What is grace? No doubt you are familiar with the acrostic for G-R-A-C-E—God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense. Grace can also be described as the unmerited favor of God towards humanity. The Apostle Paul defined saving grace in Ephesians, 2:8, 9, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” We are entirely undeserving of God’s favor as sinners; He independently takes the initiative to grant us salvation motivated purely by His own character and love. The late pastor and Bible scholar Donald Barnhouse perhaps said it best: “Love that goes upward is worship; love that goes outward is affection; love that stoops is grace.” God’s grace can never be deserved or earned; it is afforded entirely by a benevolent God who stoops down low to fervently extend kindnesses to us. Dr. J. Vernon McGee aptly explains God’s unwarranted benevolences in his Thru the Bible commentary saying,

The grace of God is the passion of God to share all His goodness with others. Grace means that God wants to bestow upon you good things, goodnesses. He wants to make you fine and noble, and He wants to bring you into the likeness of His Son.

With regards to salvation God does for us what we could never do for ourselves no matter how hard we try; He delivers us from the eternal consequences of our sins because He is gracious. Though we are utterly unworthy of it, salvation is given to us on the basis of the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ (MacDonald & Farstad). Through a definite trust in the Son of God and belief of the Gospel as God's solution for our sin problem a person can be saved by God's grace (Rom. 10:8-17). Clearly, Paul said, “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich” (2 Cor. 8:9). Christ suffered tremendously that we sinners might be saved through His sacrifice for sins. Since forgiveness for sin and a relationship with God are freely offered at Christ’s expense, why not repent and believe the gospel of Jesus Christ to be saved? Trust Christ and God will save you by His infinite grace.

SUFFICIENT GRACE

Did you know God’s grace is also truly sufficient for whatever challenges we are facing? Regardless of the nature of the challenge, at times God affords grace  instead of a fantastic miracle. Believe me God does not cheat us in any way at all by offering us grace instead of a supernatural production. Often we want to see God divide the Red Sea to give us passage beyond the present obstacles, but sometimes He prefers to change us. This is not a denial that He can perform such miracles; He is the Lord God omnipotent and He can do anything consistent with His character and will. Still, He knows it is better in some instances to minister deeply inside us to affect a greater miracle that will better prepare us for life's challenges. This is evident from Paul’s own struggles with a thorn in his flesh. 

For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me (2 Cor. 12:8, 9).

Sufficient means enough to satisfy the needs of any given situation. God’s favor is the capability and adequacy for taking on a particular purpose or challenge; by His grace He makes us sufficient. Because sufficient grace strengthens, the weak are made strong by the “power of Christ”! Though God opted to leave the challenges or perplexities in place with Paul, He provided compensation in the form of internal strength to deal with these persisting developments. The Lord Jesus did not change Paul’s circumstance on this occasion; He chose instead to change the Christian! In the final analysis, Paul received from God the wherewithal to function according to God’s designs for him in spite of the "thorn in the flesh." I think we make a serious mistake when we relegate grace to only the conversion experience (Eph. 2:8, 9). God intends for His grace to serve a far more comprehensive role in our experiences as the children of God. If you are overwhelmed by life’s hurts, frustrations, and hindrances, look to God for more grace. He can strengthen us to make us fit for the challenges we must plow through for His glory. We are not being cheated by God when He denies us an overt miracle. He is still offering us the capacity to overcome life's nastiest challenges by giving us His all-sufficient grace. No, nothing is wrong with our faith to prevent us from getting what we wanted from God. He simply wants you to have something better instead of something good. 

SERVING GRACE

As Believers, this same grace takes the form of blessings, opportunities, power, and the wherewithal to function as a generous Christian in the service of our Lord. Paul wrote to the Corinthian Church saying, “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work” (2 Cor. 9:8). Once again man’s incredible inability provides opportunities to showcase God’s infinite all ability! God promises the generous heart will have the resources, abilities, and opportunities to continue to be generous. Actually He will see to it in abundant fashion, regardless of the desperate circumstances of the giver (Phil. 4:11–13; 1 Kings 17:9–16; 2 Cor. 8:1–3). God is able to supply us with resources so that we will both have a sufficiency ourselves, and are able to share with others (MacDonald & Farstad). As a result, we have enough for supporting every good work, endeavor, mission, and project for God’s glory. This divine supply is not necessarily meager; consider Dr. Wiersbe’s characterization of it:

To begin with, we start to share God’s abundant grace (2 Cor. 9:8). The “universals” in this verse are staggering: all grace; always; all sufficiency; every good work. This does not mean that God makes every Christian wealthy in material things; but it does mean that the Christian who practices grace giving will always have what he needs when he needs it. Furthermore, the grace of God enriches him morally and spiritually so that he grows in Christian character. In his walk and his work, he depends wholly on the sufficiency of God.

In addition, there are many other areas of Christian service that grace is absolutely essential to (Rom. 12:6; 15:15; 1 Cor. 3:10; 15:10). The Apostle Paul wrote Scripture boldly, served more effectively and fruitfully, and advanced church planting as a wise master builder all by God’s wonderful grace. He ascribes all credit for these successful endeavors to the grace of God working mightily in him. Yes, serving grace is quite comprehensive in application.

SANCTIFYING GRACE

In fact, God’s grace is a fantastic teacher of godliness, soberness, moral strength, righteousness, and our blessed hope in “the glorious appearing of the Great God and our Savior Jesus Christ” (Ti. 2:11-15). The same grace that saves a sinner will also sanctify a saint! Sanctification refers to the entire process of spiritual growth and Christ-like formation throughout the Christian life. Grace plays an integral role in our development. The idea that the grace of God permits Believers to excuse and wallow in sin is absolutely foreign to the Scriptures. No, God’s grace makes the drunkard sober, the prostitute pure, the minister effective, the Christian servant competent, the Christian holy, the teacher wise, the thief a giver, the liar honest, the adulterer devoted to their spouse, the sexually immoral chaste unto Christ, and the idolater a worshiper of the True and Living God. Yes, grace will rid us of some spots and stains from the world’s system; it will install gracious character and inner moral fortitude as well. Our Lord’s grace will supply us with a strong sense of right and wrong as well as discernment between good, better, and best options when making decisions. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ stimulates radical as well as refining changes in Believers’ experiences. The life instructed by grace is clearly a testimony to God’s active favor…much like a well-kept garden, it is flourishing--alive with growth. It is not an ignored garden overgrown with weeds and neglect. God maintains His people helping us progress and appreciate in likeness to Christ (2 Cor. 3:18).

STEWARDING GRACE

Yes, the favor of God is as variegated as the colors of a brilliant rainbow (1 Pet. 4:10) and therefore adequate for all life and ministry challenges we may face! God gives us everything we need to live a devoted life and to fulfill His will.  This grace also encompasses stewarding our lives to advance our Lord’s purposes.

God’s favor is grand, spacious, wonderful, most accommodating, ever sufficient, multifaceted, undeserved, multi-layered, and absolutely amazing. Yes, I am referring to God’s amazing GRACE! It is more amazing then this incredibly inviting scene in Canada featured with this article. Each of us Believers have been entrusted with a ministry of stewarding God’s infinite grace (1 Pet. 4:10-11). “As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Pet. 4:10). Two facts can be recognized in this passage: 1) Every Believer has a Spiritual Gift for the functions and the ministry of their church.  Every believer should be exercising his or her spiritual gift to build up their church. 2) We are to be good stewards of the multi-colored grace of God as we live and serve. A steward is a slave who was given the responsibility of the master’s estate, both his home and property. These servants had full charge of the master’s affairs. Likewise, we Christians have been given something to manage for our Master, the Lord Jesus:

·        Our Spiritual Gifts have been given to us to achieve the work of God

·        Our Ministry in our church to others is a responsibility to govern for the Lord

·        Our Finances and Income are to be wisely invested for Him as well

·        Our Time to execute His priorities must be diligently managed

·        Our Opportunities and Potential are to be maximized for His glory

Again the manifold grace refers to the multi-colored grace of God. Whatever the need in ministry, God has just the right color of grace to help us through it so we may continue with our functions for His glory. Note the multi-colored grace of our Lord:

·        When we feel somewhat BLUE, God has the perfect color of grace to lift our spirits

·        When we see RED because we are angry, God has the right color grace to help us respond graciously and not react regrettably

·        When we are feeling a little YELLOW, God has the proper grace to give us courage to stand for Him and righteousness

·        When we feel tainted, BLACK and dirty, God’s comprehensive Grace can cleanse us as WHITE as snow

·        When we feel a little BROWN and stale, God’s Grace revives and refreshes us to make us GREEN and fruitful again

Think about it, if God has all the varieties of graces we could ever need to do what He calls us to, then there are no circumstances that He cannot help us through. Again since God’s grace is so comprehensive, there is no task that should be left unfinished! Concluding that God’s grace really is sufficient opens up all the will of God to us for exploration with pure confidence in Him. Yes, like the grace of our Lord, we are marvelously fit for whatever opportunities God affords us! Not in and of ourselves, but thoroughly by His grace operating in our lives. More grace is ours as we have need when we humbly walk in the Spirit to prosecute God’s will (Jam. 4:6). In addition, we can cry out to God for more grace in our time of need; appeals at His “Throne of Grace” are heard on the basis of our wonderful High Priest, Jesus Christ (Heb. 4:14-16). Therefore, my beloved Brethren, go ahead…go strong…go all the way in the grace of our Lord Jesus.