Topic(s): Church

• Make sure that the Truth is preached
• Counsel those having spiritual problems
• Encourage new converts
• Decide the direction the church will follow
• Teach Bible classes
• Praise those who do good works
• Pray for those they serve and the work
• Become concerned when someone quits attending worship or gets weak
• Visit the sick and shut-in
• Try to help people who don’t want help
• Investigate sticky and sensitive problems in order to keep the church pure
• Cry with the broken-hearted
• Model Christianity
• Greet visitors and involve new members
• Conduct home Bible Studies
• Oversee preachers’ and deacons’ works
• Hear the appeals of missionaries
• Look for areas of new service
• Work for a living
• Try to restore the unfaithful and involve the bystanders
• Counsel young (and sometimes troubled) marriages
• Study their Bibles for personal growth
• Face special temptations/discouragements
• Feel the weight of knowing they will give account of the souls they shepherd
• Smile when their efforts pay off
• Smile when they don’t
• Go on to the next problem
• Train others to take their place
• ...and 1001 other daily tasks.

What Should We Do?

• Love them. a Pray for them.
• Get to know them personally
• Back them in their work, fulfill their requests if there is no scriptural reason not to, and help carry out their plan of work.
• Speak a work of encouragement
• Defend them if we hear them criticized
• Be thankful that God gave them to us.—adapted from Paul Sain

“And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. And be at peace among yourselves. Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men. Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing” - 1 Thessalonians 5:12-17

The Greatest Moment

Topic(s): Evangelism

What makes a great moment in someone’s life? For some it might be getting their first car, getting their first “real” job (or, paycheck!), moving into their “dream house,” their wedding day, or holding their first child for the first time. I have had many great moments, from the birth of my brother and sister, to when I proposed to my future wife. But the greatest moment came just this past month. It was the first time I was able to preach God’s Word from the pulpit. It was on Sunday, September 18, 1999.

As the temperature dropped outside, I was in a small country church service. Yes, the temperature was cool outside, but I felt like I was sitting in a furnace. My palms were sweaty, and those “butterflies” were flying in my stomach. As we began the worship service with song, I could barely sing past the lump in my throat. The songs seemed like they were flying by, marching quickly on to what I felt was my doom.
And then it happened, the song leader had everyone stand to sing the final song before the lesson. All that kept running through my head was, “I’m not gonna die, I am not gonna mess up; they are not all gonna laugh at me.”

And then the song ended!

That ten foot walk up to the pulpit was both the most fearful, but also the most exciting, I’ve ever taken. This was the start of my life, what I have always wanted to do. As I set my Bible and sermon notes on the stand, the noise boomed through the room like an earthquake. My fiancée told me that with that noise I turned this chalky color, almost like I was going to faint.

But I didn’t faint.

For a split second I closed my eyes to collect my thoughts. I felt the cool confidence of doing what I love to do. That feeling that says everything is going to be all right. I hope I never forget the way I felt that night. I hope that I will never forget the lesson I preached. It was the beginning of my career. I preached on addiction, but not the bad addictions that people face like drinking, smoking, and gambling. I preached on good addictions a person must have based 1 Corinthians 16:15. As I talked about on the household of Stephanas I looked across the room and saw people smiling, and nodding their heads. Right then I knew that I was going to preach for sure.

After the introduction I started my first point which was being addicted to God’s Word (2 Timothy 2:15; Psalm 119). When I started, a quiet fell across the people and I could look into their eyes and know they were listening. There were several nods. The further I got into the lesson the better and more at ease I felt. I felt like I belonged up there. My hands stopped sweating and my stomach settled down. It also felt like it was getting cooler, at least to me.

The second point was being addicted to God’s work (1 Corinthians 15:58). I explained why we should work, and what kind of work we should do. As each verse rolled off my tongue I could see people writing and flipping pages. I conclude my lesson with the point of being addicted to God’s wishes. These include our salvation (2 Peter 2:5), for every man to hear the Word (2 Timothy 2:5), and to live a faithful life (Titus 2:12).

As I started my invitation, I explained exactly what the Bible tells us we must do to be saved, and to become a member of the Lord’s church. First, one must hear the Word (Romans 10:17). Second, one must believe (John 8:24). Third, one must repent (Luke 13:5). Fourth, one must confess Christ (Matthew 10:32-33). Fifth, one must be baptized for remission of sins (Acts 2:28). Then one must live a faithful life to Christ (Revelation 2:10).

This was truly the greatest moment of my life to this date. It was when I knew what I wanted to do with my life.

“Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ” - Ephesians 3:8