What Can I Do to Help the Church?

Date written: January 14th, 2007
Scripture ref: Colossians 3:12-17

SUBJECT: Christian Living

TITLE: What Can I Do To Help the Church?

PROPOSITION: What can I do to help the church? 1) Practice Christianity personally. 2) Participate in the congregation, 3) Persevere to the end.

Objectives: That each would understand what they can do to help the church.

INTRODUCTION:

1. Read: Colossians 3:12-17

2. About the Text:

1) Paul is speaking in this passage of living the resurrected life.

2) If we’ve been raised with Christ, then we need to avoid some things.

3) But we also must behave in a positive way as well.

4) He sums up by saying, whatever we do, we need to do it in the name of the Lord.

5) We’re talking about Colossians 3:12-17 because these are things that one must do to be a Christian.

6) When we seek to answer the question, “What can I do to help the church?”, we find similar answers.

7) There are no magic formulas.

8) There are just the consistent practices of everyday Christianity.

3. Ref. to S, T, P, O, and A.

DISCUSSION: What can I do to help the church?

I. Practice Christianity Personally

1. Pray Regularly

1) 1 Thessalonians 5:17 “Pray without ceasing.”

2) Thanksgiving is important! Philippians 4:6 “In nothing be anxious; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”

2. Stay Pure

1) In speech. Ephesians 4:29 “Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth, but such as is good for edifying as the need may be, that it may give grace to them that hear.”

2) In behavior. 2 Corinthians 1:12 “For our glorifying is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in holiness and sincerity of God, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we behaved ourselves in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.”

3. Marry a Christian

1) Matthew 6:33

2) 2 Corinthians 6:14 “Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers: for what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity? or what communion hath light with darkness?”

4. Study the word

1) Matthew 4:4

2) 2 Timothy 2:15

5. Visit the needy.

1) The sick. We may not be able to heal them, like Jesus, but we can visit.

2) The elderly.

3) The poor.

4) James 1:27 “Pure religion and undefiled before our God and Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.”

II. Participate with the Congregation

1. Attend Services

1) Acts 2:44 “And all that believed were together, and had all things common;”

2) Hebrews 10:25

2. Participate in the Worship

1) Sing! “With grace in your hearts!” Colossians 3:16

2) Listen! Luke 11:28 “…blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.”

3) Think! Philippians 4:8.

4) Help prepare for worship.

5) Be involved as a leader in worship.

3. Get involved in congregational business and activities.

1) 3 John 1:8 says, “We therefore ought to welcome such, that we may be fellow-workers for the truth.”

2) Teaching classes or helping in classes.

3) Congregational evangelistic efforts – meetings, mail outs, going door to door, “fellowships.”

4) There is always something for us to do.

III. Persevere To the End

1. Make Christians your best friends.

1) James 4:4 “Ye adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore would be a friend of the world maketh himself an enemy of God.”

2) 1 Corinthians 15:33 “Be not deceived: Evil companionships corrupt good morals.”

3) 1 John 1:3 “that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you also, that ye also may have fellowship with us: yea, and our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ:”

2. Study and Talk about God and the Bible

1) Malachi 3:16 “Then they that feared Jehovah spake one with another; and Jehovah hearkened, and heard, and a book of remembrance was written before him, for them that feared Jehovah, and that thought upon his name.”

2) Acts 2:42 “And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and the prayers”

3. Don’t Show Respect of Persons

1) Get outside your regular circle of friends in the congregation.

2) James 2:1 “My brethren, hold not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.”