“If we are The Body… “What’s in it for me?. “The church is an eternal organism in the...

““If we If we are The are The Body…Body…

““What’s What’s in it for in it for

meme??

““The church is The church is an eternal an eternal

organismorganism in in the earth, the earth,

doing the will doing the will of God and of God and

accomplishing accomplishing the purpose of the purpose of

God.”God.”

• Colossians 1:25-27Colossians 1:25-27 - “Whereof I - “Whereof I am made a minister, according to am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is the dispensation of God which is given to me given to me for you, to fulfil the for you, to fulfil the word of Godword of God; Even the mystery ; Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages which hath been hid from ages

and from generations, but now is and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known whom God would make known

what is the riches of the glory of what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; this mystery among the Gentiles;

which is Christ in you, the which is Christ in you, the hope of gloryhope of glory””

1 Corinthians 12:27 – “Now ye areare the body of

Christ, and members in particular.”

• 1 Timothy 3:15 – “But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou

oughtest to behave thyself in the house in the house of God, which is the of God, which is the church of the living church of the living GodGod, the pillar and the pillar and

ground of the ground of the truthtruth.”

• It is God’s It is God’s vehiclevehicle to to

getget us us where he where he

wants us to wants us to gogo

•John 14:6 – “Jesus saith unto him, I am the wayway, the truthtruth, and the lifelife: no man

cometh unto the Father, but by

Me.”

• Acts 1:9-11 – “And when He had spoken these things, while they while they beheld, He was taken upbeheld, He was taken up; and a cloud received Him out of their

sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven?

this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so

come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”

John 14:6 – “Jesus saith unto him, I am the wayway, the truthtruth, and the lifelife:

… .”

•The churchThe church is our is our vehicle to vehicle to get usget us where God wants where God wants us to go. (us to go. (It’s the It’s the WAY to get thereWAY to get there))

…“…“What’What’s in it s in it for Me?”for Me?”

•It’s Where It’s Where we find we find

ourour authorityauthority

• It is God’s It is God’s instrumentinstrument

through which through which we we carry outcarry out

his commission his commission to to gogo

Colossians 1:18 – “And He (Christ) is the is the

head of the body, head of the body, the churchthe church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all

things He might He might have the have the

preeminencepreeminence.”

• Matthew 28:19-20 - “Go ye therefore, and teach (disciple) all nations, baptizing them in the

name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching

them to observe all things whatsoever I have

commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even

unto the end of the world. Amen.”

• Acts 13:1-4 – “Now there were in the in the church that was at Antiochchurch that was at Antioch certain

prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and

Saul. As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the workme Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called themwhereunto I have called them. And when theythey had fasted and prayed, and

laid their their hands on them, theythey sent themthem away. So theythey, being sent forth being sent forth

by the Holy Ghostby the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to

Cyprus.”

• It is God’s It is God’s FamilyFamily

through through which He which He

DesignedDesigned us us to to gRoWgRoW

• It’s Where It’s Where we find we find

ourour BELONGINGBELONGING

The Longing The Longing for Edenfor Eden

The Longing for The Longing for EdenEden

•ImmortalityImmortality


•ImmortalityImmortality•WealthWealth


• ImmortalityImmortality• WealthWealth• PowerPower

The Longing for The Longing for EdenEden• ImmortalityImmortality

• WealthWealth• PowerPower

• BelongingBelonging

Colossians 2:10 – “And ye are complete in Him, which is the head of all principality and

power”

Colossians 3:1-2 - “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are

above, where Christ sitteth on the right

hand of God. Set your affection on things

above, not on things on the earth.”

What are the What are the THINGS to SEEK THINGS to SEEK

above?above?


above?above?•The THRONE of The THRONE of

God.God.

Ezekiel 1:26-28 - “And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness was the likeness

of a throneof a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of of

the thronethe throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it. And I

saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it,

from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his

loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about. As the appearance of the

bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And

when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.”

Isaiah 6:1-3 – “In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the I saw also the

Lord sitting upon a throneLord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his

train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said,

Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of

his glory.”

Revelation 4:1-2 - “After this I looked, and, behold, a

door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me;

which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a a thronethrone was set in heaven,

and one sat on the thronethrone.”


above?above?•The WORD of The WORD of

God.God.

Psalms 119:89 - “For ever, O

LORD, thy Word is

settled in in heavenheaven.”


above?above?•The PERSON of The PERSON of

God.God.

1 John 5:7- “For there are three that bear record in heavenin heaven, the

Father, the Word, and the Holy

Ghost: and these three are one.”

Mark 12:30 – “And thou shalt love

the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy

soul, and with all thy mind, and

with all thy strength: ….”


above?above?•The FAMILY of The FAMILY of

God.God. (Ephesians 2 and 3)

• It’s Where It’s Where

we find we find Our Our

encouragementencouragement

1 Corinthians 12:25-27- “That there should be no schism in

the body; but that the members should have the

same care one for another. And whether one member And whether one member

suffer, all the members suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one suffer with it; or one

member be honoured, all member be honoured, all the members rejoice with the members rejoice with itit. Now ye are the body of


Romans 12:15 - “Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and

weep with them that weep.”

Hebrews 10:22-25 - “Let usLet us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of

faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our

bodies washed with pure water. Let Let usus hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for He is faithful that promised;) And let uslet us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not

forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner

of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as

ye see the day approaching.”

Hebrews 3:13 - “But exhort one another

daily, while it is called To day; lest

any of you be hardened through

the deceitfulness of sin.”

““The church is The church is an eternal an eternal

organismorganism in in the earth, the earth,

doing the will doing the will of God and of God and

accomplishing accomplishing the purpose of the purpose of

God.”God.”

““One another”-One another”-245 times in KJV245 times in KJV•Romans 12:5Romans 12:5 – “So we, being – “So we, being

many, are one body in Christ, and many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of every one members one of

another.”another.”

• Exhort Exhort (Hebrews 3:13, 10:25)• Consider Consider (Hebrews 10:24)• Provoke (stir up for good)(rally) Provoke (stir up for good)(rally) (Hebrews

10:24)• Confess Your Faults To Confess Your Faults To (James 5:16)• Pray For Pray For (James 5:16)• Have Compassion For Have Compassion For (1st Peter 3:8)• Show Hospitality To Show Hospitality To (1st Peter 4:9)…without …without

grudging!grudging!• Be Courteous To Be Courteous To (1st Peter 3:8)• Minister To Minister To (1st Peter 4:10)• Bear BurdensBear Burdens (Galatians 6:2)

DODO::

• Care For Care For (1st Corinthians 12:25)• Serve Serve (Galatians 5:13)• Forbear (put up with) Forbear (put up with) (Ephesians 4:2)

(Colossians 3:13)• Forgive Forgive (Ephesians 4:32)(Colossians 3:13)• Be Kind Be Kind (Eph. 4:32)(1st Peter 3:8)- “be - “be

pitiful”-kindheartedpitiful”-kindhearted• Be Tenderhearted Be Tenderhearted (Ephesians 4:32)• Teach Teach (Colossians 3:16)• Comfort Comfort (1st Thessalonians 4:18, 5:11)• Be Subject To (respect)Be Subject To (respect) (1st Peter 5:5)

DODO::

• Have peace Have peace (Mark 9:50)• Love Love (John 13:34)(John 15:12)(1st Peter 1:22)(1st

John 3:14,4:12) and many other places in and many other places in scripture (scripture (total of 19total of 19) – John 15:12 “) – John 15:12 “as I have as I have loved youloved you””

• Be kindly affectioned (cherish) Be kindly affectioned (cherish) (Romans 12:10)• Prefer (leading the way to safety) Prefer (leading the way to safety) (Romans

12:10)• Be likeminded Be likeminded (Romans 12:16)(Romans 15:5-7)• Edify (build-up) Edify (build-up) (Romans 14:19)(1st Thess 5:11)• Receive Receive (Romans 15:7)• Admonish (caution) Admonish (caution) (Romans15:14)(Col. 3:16)

DODO::

• Deal Falsely With Deal Falsely With (Leviticus 19:11)• Lie To (Leviticus 19:11 Lie To (Leviticus 19:11 (Ephesians 4:25)• Oppress Oppress (Leviticus 25:17)• Judge Judge (Romans 14:13)• Be A Stumblingblock To Be A Stumblingblock To (Romans 14:13)• Be Puffed Up Against Be Puffed Up Against (1st Corinthians 4:6)• Provoke (in anger)(stir up to wrath) Provoke (in anger)(stir up to wrath)

(Galatians 5:26)• Envy Envy (Galatians 5:26)• Prefer (Be Partial) Prefer (Be Partial) (1st Timothy 5:21)• Speak Evil Speak Evil (James 4:11)• Grudge Grudge (James 5:9)

DON’DON’TT::

• It’s Where It’s Where

we find we find Our Our

accountabilityaccountability

Matthew 18:15-18 – “Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but

if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a

publican. Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in

heaven.”

1 Corinthians 5:9-11 – “I wrote unto you in an epistle not to not to

companycompany with fornicators: Yet not altogether with the

fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world. But

now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man if any man that is called a brotherthat is called a brother be a

fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a

drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.”

2 Thessalonians 3:14-15 – “And if any man obey

not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company

with him, that he that he may be ashamedmay be ashamed.

Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish

him as a brother.”

Romans 16:17-18 – “Now I I beseech you, brethrenbeseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences

contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that

are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.”

Proverbs 27:6 – “Faithful are the

wounds of a friend;…”Ephesians 4:15 – “But speaking the truth in

love, may grow up into Him in all things,

which is the head, even Christ”

Galatians 6:1 - “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault,

ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in

the spirit of meekness;

considering thyself, lest thou also be

tempted.”

•Authority Authority •BelongingBelonging

•EncouragementEncouragement•AccountabilityAccountability

That’s That’s what’s in it what’s in it for you… for you… what’s in what’s in it it for for othersothers because of because of you?you?

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