How I Fit Into His Plan for the Church
How I Fit Into His Plan for the Church
Freedom Tabernacle 05/17/07 p.m. – Men’s Fellowship – Text: Matt. 16:18
Jeremiah – Jer. 1:8 - Before I formed you…
Proposition: Every Christian can fulfill Jesus’ plan for the Church by living out the following points.
Point #1. Every Believer is to Be a Witness for Christ
A. 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 Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
1. “ye shall receive” – lambano = “to take up in order to use or to carry away”{denotes purpose}
2. “power” – dunamis = “dynamic ability that resides within by virtue of its nature”
a. Faced with a monumental task of spreading this new gospel…they would need enablement from God.
3. “witnesses” – martus = martyr (they would testify of Him from a “personal” viewpoint)
B. Illustrations
1. Heaven’s Gates and Hell’s Flames at SHM -
a. Deborah Broughman – Had always been timid about facing crowds – was given power to present the gospel to over 400 for three consecutive nights (watched 150 walk the aisles to accept Christ).
2. Peter: days earlier, fled in the face of adversity – NOW stands up by the power of the Holy Ghost.
Point #2. Every Believer is to do the Things That Jesus Did
A. John 14:12 – “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater [works] than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.”
1. “Works” – ergon = “business or employment”
a. The Scope of this employment - Most theologians agree that the works speaks of the crowds; those influenced directly by Jesus
b. Christ worked miracles for 3 ½ years in one country, but His followers throughout the ages since have been touching every nation under the sun.
B. Reason for the Greater Works
1. Jesus was going to the Father and sending the power of the Holy Ghost
2. He would also answer prayer that was prayed in his name – Jn. 14:14
Point #3. Every Believer is to Share the Gospel
A. Mark 16:15 – “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”
1. In the first commission they were sent only to Jews (Matt. 10:6), but now He sends them into all the world. (Mk. 16:15)
2. In the persecution of the church in Acts 8, the church was “scattered” abroad (like sparks from a fire) into other countries…but proclaimed the gospel wherever they went and the church grew.
· Persecution doesn’t bring the church down (Satan’s intent). It FUELS the fire of the church, drawing attention to its message. (Paul - Not in the wisdom of words…Rom. 1:16 - it alone has the power to save)!!
Point #4. Every Believer is to Expect Miraculous Signs to Follow Him
A. Mark 16:17-18 – “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”
- Much of the church is lifeless today simply because we have stopped taking God’s Word in its literal sense.
1. Expecting things to happen: Example: Rev. Jimmy Marsh – A man died as he walked across the street from the Steel Mill. Jimmy ran to him (dead), turned his back to the ongoing traffic and prayed (kara!!!). God heard and brought the man back to life.
2. Example –
B. Don’t live in the past…expect heaven to move when you pray
1. If He did it in the past, He’ll still do it today….(High water marks…Big Pee Dee River…you can see the signs of the past in the tree tops…can’t live in the past)
2. God cannot lie…Titus 1:2 - Christ the same yesterday, to day, and forever…” Heb. 13:8
Point #5. Every Believer is to be Prepared for the Work of Ministry
A. Eph. 4:12 “For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:”
1. Example - The firefighter cannot wait until tomorrow to straighten out his hose that he used on a call an hour ago…he must clean it up and be ready for he never knows when the alarm might go off again.
2. The believer is a soldier…a soldier doesn’t wait until he gets in the trenches before he starts sharpening his bayonet.
B. Be Ready
1. “Be instant, in season, out of season….” 2 Tim. 4:2
a. Jesus sat by the well side (He was approached by an opportunity)
b. On the way to church, Peter and John encountered a lame man (They healed him instantly)