A Strong Church - Part 2

The intense podcast of child 13, September 6, which should be the mission of the church today. Dr. Stanley gets a clear biblical vision for the body of Christ is one of the neck elements in building a strong church. What is a church in and so when you think about that you think about what country it's normal to belong to belong to a week church are the Roman to belong to a strong church and so the title of this message is a strong church. You may say will you know what I came into this morning and I don't even know the I'm interested in church when you get ready get interested for the simple reason when Jesus said I will build my church, anything that he bills I have to be interested in. I would want to be in Islam must be interested in.

So let's talk about one of the characteristics that make for a strong church, wherever you may go and whatever your church may be in the first thing is this spirit filled the leadership. If you have a leadership in a church that is not there.

With the spirit of God, you're starting out already with weakness because if you recall Jesus said to his disciples. You not ready to do what I called you to do. He gave them the great commission. But he says I want you to stay in the city of Jerusalem until you be filled with the Holy Spirit. No staff of the church is adequate to do the work that God calls them to do, unless they be filled the Holy Spirit. That is not on the pastors, but the members of the staff and so if you going to have a strong church than the leadership of the staff must be filled with the Holy Spirit listening to him and depending upon him for direction and for guidance and for the power of the energy and the know-how to carry out the work of the church. Churches and what we attempt to do does not just happen is a lot that goes on in the midst of it all.

So first of all, you have to have spirit feel leadership and in their lives out of their life. That should be the evidence that the up there with the spirit which Paul gives his relationship to five of love and joy and peace and all the rest he mentions so that's number one.

That's the beginning that's first. Then of course the worship service would provide the atmosphere in which the people experience the presence of God and leave renewed in their commitment to obey God and serve him as what should happen in every strong church that's account worship service and so a worship service is where we focus our attention upon God, not upon the preacher, but upon God, upon his word what God wants to do in our life we open our heart and ask God speak to my heart and when you come in the church. I think one of the first things you should do when you come and you should say Lord you brought me here this morning. I will you speak to my heart. I want you to show me what I need to hear to help me to hear it to believe it, and to accept it and to apply it to my heart because this this is not a theatrical place this a place of worship. This is place where we meet God together and people say what you know and I do still need that in my life. Oh yes you do. The Bible says forsake not the assembling of yourselves together, which some do when you neglect when you neglect fellow shipping with fellow believers. You gonna be weak. The truth is listed. We not only need yet we need each other and the wonderful thing about a fellowship that's a strong fellowship.

It's a fellowship where people recognize that the interdependence upon each other. No human holograms are on dependent on him. Her inch but we need each other in worship is for a time for us to focus upon God, upon his word and to praise him in the sink. I want the best people. For example, who never saying and some people love he was saying stuff that shouldn't even be saying but I'm thinking about people who never sing a hymn, look at all the garbage they put in their mind and their spirit, and they can saying the world's trash and never think about the awesome songs that we sing this in this amazing Grace, how sweet the sound. What makes it sweet that saved a wretch like me I once was lost but now I'm found I was blind but now I see I think about my think about the awesome songs we have in a worship service there to lift us to focus attention upon God, not upon the man and then of course when I think about all of these characteristics of faithful and generous in their giving. You don't hear me begging for money.

You don't hear me pleading put pressure in the body.

Because here's what I believe. I believe if you obey God, and you walk in his will and his way and you choose to follow him. You will give because the spirit of God will motivate you and he's going to motivate you listen.

For this reason he wants us to learn to do what to worship him with their tithes and offerings in verse cylinder I mentioned in people once in a while Sable.

Why don't you preach on money. Well, I don't think that's what God wants me to do at times. Most of the time but sometimes I will make those explanations and challenges. If there is a reason but my believe is simply this.

If you are listening to the word of God and your obeying him and you believing him and you trusting him and you will have a strong family you're part of a strong church you will give every Sunday morning when I have the privilege of giving.

If I missed.

For example, I missed about the three Sundays that I'm going to have this Sundays off and I don't have a goes through, I'm I'm not going to get behind because, listen, God never gets behind with me.

He's always ahead and so I owe him my life. I owe him my life and and somebody says oh my goodness, I've got the time that you don't have to be disobedient not that but what I want you to see. Listen, it's the privilege of not just talking to God was saying, Lord, I mean what I say when I say I'm thankful and grateful for the wonderful privilege. I know that you sent me to bring accounts and our offerings into the storehouse of God so that the work can be carried out. I thank you for the privilege of giving. I think about this when somebody works makes his salary and spends it all on themselves and never times you. You are not going to enjoy and you're not going to be successful financially. Listen I can tell you that people who sit will listen, I've got millions. I don't need the time can't guarantee you health can't guarantee his safety can't guarantee what happens to your family. Listen we are blessed and protected and provided for in ways we often times not think you have no promise whatsoever that you don't get to work tomorrow morning. Samosas are you can't scare me. I would've a good if you get you right with God. I would. I'm simply saying this, listen, utilize how blessed we are and privilege to live in this country. You got a job you got income you got a family you take care of your children.

Times are tough they going to get tougher and you know what, and we going to be faithful right through the tough times to allow God to prove taxes and government does not change his gift is love gives grace to and then listen strong churches strategically organize the reach their God-given goals so we organize your preschool. We have school-age children we have teenage and simple. We have adults we have programs for each age group we organize for everything imaginable using the first church to get organize. Oh yes, they did because if you'll notice, for example, in acts early next is what happened about says no but it was in need. Listen if you had 3000 people get saved and nobody is in need.

Somebody got that credit organize that could have been Peter of whoever it might've been, and for example Jesus was organize. He said 03 5007 groups and that will get them all fed and had some leftover church is organized, the organization is beneath the surface. We organize why so when when you will become.

Once anymore we got a start of the time we say we going to start this organization. We don't have singing we don't have preaching, we don't have offerings. We do have imitation, you have a conclusion. All this organization is strong church is organized because it has goals.

Goals given to us by God to reach people and so that's why we are organize and I think about the church is that not organized is something wrong and what happens is if the not organized before long they are missing something then of course strong church the people serving the strength of their spiritual gifts that you say will some people would save a lot of what a spiritual gift is so let me just give you a little briefing here in the 12th chapter of Romans, you might look there for a moment.

He says in verse six of the Romans 12 since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us.

That is, according to God's grace and what he wants to do in and through your life. He gives you certain gifts of listen. He says since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us. Each of us is to exercise them accordingly. I watch this so he names them the gift of prophecy the gift of service, the gift of teaching. The gift of exhortation gift of giving the gift of leading our administration and the gift of mercy that you Sable. How does that work okay watch this. You come to my house and I will serve you dinner and so have a wonderful dinner and everybody is served iced tea so not thinking I reach over to get the fork or knife unlock martini glass over his balls over. It breaks tea everywhere and all of my pant leg and it's an unrelenting signal he's on her dress is just a big mess and the person with the gift of mercy says all souls also sorry the gift of service ignore but I'll take care of this and she's a first want to go clean up the gift of administration says meditate what we are doing this whole situation and the gift of given says you can bond of a glass stoneware that and the gift of prophecy. For example, this is a limitation something you should be more thoughtful about things like that in the and so IEEE broken the glass and wasted money. The gift of exhortation says look next time push the glass a little further this way you won't knock it over the use there that will really happen.

Limitation you respond in that way and you don't even realize and that you would not promise it on the table because you have a spiritual gift that God is giving you as a believer. That's how you operate in the words example, I don't have the gift of mercy, though I'm merciful to some degree, but other words, my gift is what you think it is exhortation.

That's what I want to encourage you to do your best be your best look your best. So what I would say exulting out. Sleep well, you know. Yes, we can do it I'd be con with it but mercy is all over herself, and in the gift of service. She Artie has a broom and the mop in here before you turn around.

I'm simply saying you have a gift you as a mother have a gift and you operate in your business at a new gifts.

For example, if if somebody gave me a job of some jobs I could not operate I can teach a little bit and I'm an exorbitant that is watch this when you operate out of your gift.

You are the most efficient and secondly you operated your gift you listen you the happiest because you sense your ability and talents and skills.

For example in people have all different kind of gifts people who are very creative in their spiritual gifts so that's the work of the Holy Spirit not you put that into the church and this is where we have people who teach people have the organization.

People who exalt and the you have all the different gifts in the church and God has given us different people who do different things better SMP we can do many things better than I can in some buzzes one of you ever done besides preach will deliver newspaper and watch cars and maybe a few of the things, but this is what God created me for I'm the happiest doing this. I do my best when I'm doing this. If I had that teach in a classroom of about 20 people in teaching calculus, I'd be a total flop because that's not who I am. You are who you are and you need to find that what you spiritual gift as you say. Well I never heard of it before latte. What a person who is the daughter of the most famous people in America said to me on occasion, you know my husband now him to get a divorce. I heard you preaching about spiritual gifts and she said we listen to and she says I want to tell you I start saying all now know why he operates it now now know why he thinks that we now know why she thinks that way is it save their marriage. It is a powerful lesson to learn, so strong church a very strong church is a church where the people are operating out of a gifts then of course united in spirit strong church people united in spirit, we have people from all the different countries in the world and we have people from every race, every nation, every nationality, all kind of languages we got people here from about 55 different languages that belong to a church but I think that's fantastic.

And so because we are the body of Christ will not discount the body that kinda body disk on the body with just the body of Christ love each other have a sense of unity and oneness. But you know if you have some problem you should talk to some staff member something if it's something you don't understand usually what I find other people just don't understand something, unity, oneness, loving each other, helping each other undergirding one another and in finding out who is in need and being with. That's what the New Testament church did. That's for them so strong they revolutionized their day and conquered Rome and because they stuck together and believe the word of God. Then of course genuine love for one another. That's part of that being united in love is footholds is like glue that holds insurance together. You see, if you sit in church you looked across value so somebody that you just can't stand you need to get right with God loving one another was what Jesus was all about. And when he said I'll build my church, with the building known he built upon the recognition of who he was the son of God and loving him and loving one another. That's what he said. Then of course of the last one that I'll mention is a vision for lost world that would result in the going of some in the giving of others. I church that doesn't have a vision for the world is not going to be a strong church.

If you are expecting God to honor us and bless this church and bless the members and the families of the church. One of our responsibilities is to get the message of this church to the world and listen this carefully when you get committed to God's will and purpose and plan for your life. You remember this Almighty God comes to your rescue to help you and enabled you in the open doors of opportunity, I would never have imagined that we be preach the gospel. All of the world. I don't brag about that I don't talk about that necessarily and our goal is to get in every language we possibly can.

We want to get the message in every language we can so that anybody and everybody wants the truth loves the truth desires the truth or ignorant about the truth will be able to hear it and disable the grace of God that New Testament church was ahead of vision for the world and the reason I know that is that I'm sitting here as a child of God, and that's thousands of miles away. They never stopped. They were persecuted.

Rome try to destroy the and the gospel is strong today and getting stronger all over the world. So what you have to ask is this what is a strong church I've given you what I do believe in all of my heart. 11 there is very important characteristics of a strong church is a question on asking, are you listening say men. What are you doing to contribute to the strength of your church. Members of this church.

This is this morning and all of you who are listening, what are you doing to help strengthen contribute to the strength of your church.

Second question if others in your church. Follow your pattern with the church continue to be strong and fruitful for the kingdom of God. If they follow your pattern that would you agree you've heard the truth this morning will say that like you mean it right here is what I want to ask you heard what the church is like, but I want to talk to you right this moment, you believe what you've heard the gospel of truth. If you willing to say to God today Lord, I will make a commitment today that I want to make whatever contribution I can make whatever it may be to the centering of my church is what we are saying we say Lord we want this to be a strong church based on the word of God, committed to reaching as many people as we amen thank you for listening to my heart.

You have a strong chance if you like to know more about Charles Stanley for insights ministry that night and had started wagging his podcast is the presentation if enhancement is mandatory