Surviving the Pandemic as a Congregation--Part 3
Surviving the Pandemic as a Congregation • Sermon • Submitted
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INTRODUCTION:
INTRODUCTION:
1. Everything that is going on around us in the world today affects the Church.
A. The covid-19 virus.
B. The economy being shut down.
C. People staying home.
D. Internet Church service— no matter your opinion whether it is right or wrong it is still affecting the Lord’s church.
E. Wearing mask.
F. The riots going on.
G. Racism.
2. We have no control over what is going on in the world around us but we can control how it will affect the Church..
A. Apathy has an extreme effect on the church in that it causes very little interest and a lack of enthusiasm.
B. A lack of interest and enthusiasm for Spiritual things can cause very little of the Lord’s work to be accomplished in the church and community.
1. So the question needs to be asked—what is at the root of both of these problems?
2. Spiritual Laziness
C. The answer to all of these problems is to be proactive in the resolution of the problem.
1. Today we are not going to discuss the evil’s of Spiritual laziness.
2. We are not going to discuss the answer to the problem of laziness because we already know the answer.
3. What we are going to talk about is ways you can get involved.
BODY:
1. Form a visitation committee.
A. Pure and undefiled religion is to visit orphans and widows.
27 Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.
1. In an aging congregation there are several widows that need to be visited.
2. This means a lot of work that needs to be done.
B. There is a lot of good that can be done for a congregation in individuals getting together to visit.
1. There is more to visitation to do than just orphans and widows.
A. What about visitors to the congregation.
1. We can show our love and desire for them to be a part of us by visiting them.
7 But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. 8 And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.” 9 Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. 10 As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
B. What about those that are in prison.
1. People are most receptive to the gospel when they are at their lowest when there is no where to go but up.
2. People often came to Jesus for help when no one else could help.
A. The lady with the issue of blood.
43 Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any, 44 came from behind and touched the border of His garment. And immediately her flow of blood stopped.
B. Friends brought a person to the Lord to be healed but the could not reach Him so they climbed to the roof and let him down to Jesus.
17 Now it happened on a certain day, as He was teaching, that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present to heal them. 18 Then behold, men brought on a bed a man who was paralyzed, whom they sought to bring in and lay before Him. 19 And when they could not find how they might bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the housetop and let him down with his bed through the tiling into the midst before Jesus.
C. What about new converts who need to know they are loved and taken care of because they have been reborn.
2. Form an evangelism committee.
A. We don’t have to do evangelism alone.
1. That is why Jesus built His church.
18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
A. The gates of Hades shall not prevail against the church because their will always be a remnant that is faithful to His word.
35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.
B. Jesus gave the keys of the kingdom to Peter and when he used them on the day of Pentecost three thousand souls were saved.
40 And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” 41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.
2. The more people that we can get involved in evangelism the better the probability of helping more people.
A. People are different and relate to different people differently.
B. The more people involved the more ideas that are produced the better the likelihood of actually helping people with the gospel.
18 Where there is no vision, the people perish: But he that keepeth the law, happy is he.
Conclusion:
1. These are just two way we can get involved in the work of the Church.
A. Over the next one to two weeks we will discuss more ways we can involved and save the church from this pandemic.
2. Both of these ways of being involved bring the church together as a family.
A. Both of these ways help us to grow spiritually and physically.
B. Over the next few weeks we will talk about more ways to get involved and grow both spiritually and physically.