Four characteristics needed to serve God.

Colossians 1:10 - 11 “That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; (11) Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;”

Serving God is the Christians most important service in life. There is nothing more powerful or satisfying to a Christian than to serve God in truth and in spirit which is called “walking worthy”. When you are a teacher or a pastor your walk is an example to those around you and those of the household of faith called the church of Jesus Christ. I was taught as a young minister to always remember, “as goes the pastor so goes the church”. This means that our walk is an example to lead the faith and walk of the church membership. Sometimes teachers and preachers claim to have God’s wisdom, but they lack love and kindness which are essential to being called a worthy walking Christian or leader. Four characteristics needed to serve God, these characteristics are, knowledge, conduct, service, and character. We must remember that in the Christian life, knowledge and obedience go together or else our walk is unworthy. We must always live and learn, not only are these two a must, but they must go together. As Pastors and Teachers, we are not just biblical educators but continuous students, building strength to be better servants and teachers. Always aware that others are following our walk-in life and learning from our walk. These four characteristics should be our goal in our walk and leadership. While none of us is perfectly balanced in these four characteristics, we ought to strive for that balance for the rest of our life. We all serve by God’s authority and within God’s power, God gives us everything we need in life both as teachers and as Christians to walk worthy. Four tools God mentions here that is needed for every Christian but especially for every teacher and pastor, these are patience, longsuffering, joyfulness, and thanksgiving. But our Christian walk always begins with love, love is the greatest of all because love is how God elected us to begin with. God used the word “patience” which means cheerful or endurance, endurance when circumstances are difficult. Because serving God is sometimes difficult, it is not easy because we are continually fighting the old fleshly nature but also sinfulness in the world around us. However, in the most stressing times we need love, and patience because troubles in life builds patience. “…knowing that tribulation worketh patience;” Romans 5:3b That’s tribulations in your life builds character and patience if our Christian walk is correct. God went on to say in verse 4 these words, “And patience, experience; and experience, hope:” So the more tribulation, the more patience, the more experience, the more hope we have in God. We must understand that it is impossible to have longsuffering, joyfulness, or thanksgiving without the endurance of patience.

Knowledge – is patiently walking everyday as though we know nothing seeking to learn more to make us better to walk worthy of the Lord.

Conduct – is behaving ourselves in the Lord or the word. Properly studying to show ourselves approved of God every day. Everything done in love, because love gives us much needed endurance. Understanding that God is controlling everything for a reason and purpose known only to Himself.  

Service – Remembering we serve the Lord God; our walk is our service. Everything we do in our life is to bring honor and glory to God. If our service and walk is not bringing glory to God then we need to fix our staggering walk.

And character – What do people see when they look at you? While you are not to walk to please people, people reflect who you are by your character. We should care what our church membership and other Christians think about us. By looking at us, they should see the characteristics of our loving Lord and God.

Beloved, a Christians is never complete as they can be, we always need to grow. We need to be loving and patient in our walk for the Lord and in dealing with other’s. Remembering that we all belong to the Lord. And if it wasn’t for the power and Grace of God I could never walk one step in God’s glorious pleasure.

Providing For Our Own.

1 Timothy 5:8 “But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.”

Sometimes as Christians and churches and even families we fail in our responsibilities as described in God’s word. Not in one area, but many areas of life, as God has commanded. We often find ourselves “denying the faith” without knowledge of doing so, we simply fail unaware in our godly walk. A godly man understands our standing in the family, or we should understand our standing in the family. The doctrine of the bible is that “we provide for our own” and if we fail then we are failing and denying the faith. As Christians we all have responsibilities to the Lord and His word of truth and faith. Being a church member also carries a great responsibility that so many of us fail and deny the faith. Most, and I am guilty of the same use this scripture as though it is talking only to the man of the family, which is the husband, father, which is the head of the family, and it is, however, God is also talking to us all. This passage in context is talking to us men but it is also talking to us Pastors and churches. God said, “Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.” Matthew 7:5 Before we began to hold some guilty that we believe are failing in their manly responsibilities let’s make sure we are taking care of our own responsibilities of humanity. Sometimes we are quick to condemn some and not others especially when the “others” includes ourselves. One of the most important words to a Christian and church is the words “chartable giver”, God meant for us to take care of each other. As husbands and fathers, it is our responsibility to make sure our family is taken care of in every way, but as church members it is also our duty to care those of the household of faith. God is our ultimate caregiver, but God also expects us to be each other’s caregiver, and area we often fail. God, and especially Jesus should be our example in life as Christians, doing as He would do, caring more about others than ourselves. God gave His Son for us, Jesus gave His life for our salvation, grace giving grace. Our biggest failure and denial of faith is to accept that this life on earth is not our reward, it’s where we collect eternal rewards when we are at our final judgment. We must understand that we could lose some rewards because we failed in other areas of our walk-in life. Our walk-in life is to walk in Christ, to walk in God’s word, to walk in the Spirit. "This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. (25) If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. (26) Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another." Galatians 5:16, 25 – 26 Jesus kept nothing for Himself, He did not strive to build an empire for Himself and His family but was charitable to those He had contact with. Churches started out living together and taking care of one another, not depending on others to care for their loved ones. Churches should not be hoarders of money and goods while members do without. Church members ought not build fancy things for themselves while others in the church does without. God blesses us that we can bless others, everything with God is about grace and giving. God said this about charity, “And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.” 1 Corinthians 13:2 As families we should make sure we take care of them, as churches we should make sure we take care of them, but our care extends beyond that, Christians everywhere needs help, and it’s our responsibility. "And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. (4) Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, (5) Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;" 1 Corinthians 13:3 – 5 The key word here is “LOVE” God gives to us that we give to others, not out of responsibility, not out of pity, but out of love. God giveth because of love and so should we. Love is not telling the needy to be content, love is helping the needy in being content. 1 Corinthians 13:6 - 8 "Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; (7) Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. (8) Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away." Let us not “deny the faith”, let us not watch others do without, give to the church that the church might help others. We all need to do our part as Christians, trusting God, not saving for a rainy day but trusting God on those rainy days. “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19 Let’s all supply for our own, not just families, or churches, but for Christians everywhere!   

The Omniscience of God.

Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

How exactly is God Omniscience? This word derives from two words, omni – meaning all and science – knowledge. Therefore, we must understand that God has all knowledge, or that there is not anything God does not know. God did not become Omniscience over time, nor did God become Omniscience by looking into the future and seeing what would come to fulfillment. God never was non-Omniscience or all knowledge. Before creation, before anything else existed, when there was only God, He was Omni-everything. For example God was omnipotent meaning – God is all power – omnipresent meaning – God is everywhere at one time, omnibenevolent meaning God is all good, kind, helpful, and generous. You can put Omni in front of anything God is because He is everything and all of everything. God has absolutely no limits, no changing, no adding to or taking away from Him. Before creation God knew everything because He is The Sovereign Being. If one reads the bible in its context then we will understand that we, as created beings are limited to time, knowledge, understanding, as well as everything else. God is limited to nothing, not in anything. Creation, everything and all of creation is limited to God’s Will and God’s glory. Even Satan and evil was created for God’s own glory, “The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.” Proverbs 16:4 God, the Sovereign Being over all creation gave every creature the being it has and appointed it in its place and time. Satan was created to sin and fall, all the Angels that fell were created to fall, Adam and Eve were created to fall, all for God’s glory. God said of Pharaoh, “For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.” Romans 9:17 All of this shows the Omniscience and Omnipotence of God without question. The Eternal, Self-existent, Sovereign God doing as He ordained to do without interference. The largest problem in the world is the lack of true understanding, of people’s limited understanding the truth about God. How God deals our life, God said, “For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.” Acts 17:28 Let us not forget that God told us after He said we are saved by His grace and power in Ephesians 2:8 He told us in verse 10 that our entire life as a Believer is by His ordained will and power in Jesus Christ, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Not just created to do them, but also to accomplish them by His grace and power. Now let’s look at Jeremiah the Prophet…

Jeremiah was not a single selection of God’s will and power, the fact is all of creation is the element of God’s will and power. Ever Christian, every church and member, every Christian in history, every person, everything in existence, every planet, galaxy, and star, all are under God’s will and power. God knew every believer that will ever be saved in Jesus Christ, and every lost soul that will never come to Christ. He knows every Pastor or teacher in every church or mission work because they were all placed by His will and power. He knows every true sermon or true thought because they all come from Him. He knew us before the world was ever created because He gave us to Jesus Christ before the world was created and even wrote our names in the Lambs book of life before creation.  Revelation 17:8 “The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.” If there are names not written, then names must have been written before the foundation of the world. Besides God said, “Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.” Acts 15:18 So, that answer is no, Jeremiah was not a single elected man or prophet God knew before the world was created, we all are whether we are saved or lost, going to be save or going to die lost, good or bad or pure evil, we are all what God ordained us to be before the world was created. God said this of Himself, "Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God. (7) And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I appointed the ancient people? and the things that are coming, and shall come, let them shew unto them. (8 ) Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any." Isaiah 44:6 – 8 We are no different than Jeremiah, Moses, Noah, Abraham, the Apostle Paul, or any of the other innumerable people that God has dealt with, we all live, move, and have our being by the ordained will and power of God! I am what I am by the grace of God.     

The Churches Authority.

"And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. (19) "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: (20) 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." Matthew 28:18 – 20

The first thing one must see here is the word “power” it means – privilege but it also means authority or a token of control – and most times in the scriptures the translators use this Greek word “exousia” to mean “authority”. Therefore, we must conclude that the definition of the word carries the definition “authority”. In this passage Jesus met with the leadership of the first church, started by Him, and He gave them this power or authority. Jesus did not give this authority to the world, secular organizations, or to just anyone who wanted it, He gave it to the local New Testament Church. I’m not going to debate the church existence because that is settled doctrine in my heart. The church without question was started in Jerusalem and Jesus was the founder, through mission works out of that church other churches were started. Churches are the corners stone of doctrine and truth, therefore if an assembly is not doctrinally sound they are not a church by definition. Churches are Sovereign Independent Bodies of Born Again, Baptized believers. Verse 16 tells us “Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.” Only the 11 Apostles that were the leadership of the church was present with Jesus at the time of this giving of commission. This authority or power was given to them on behalf of the church, therefore only the church has this authority to preach the gospel. You will find that only true Sovereign Grace Bodies have the true gospel and the true doctrine to carry out this authority. No other assemblies, not even counterfeit Baptist carry the true gospel and true doctrine to the world. Just being like or similar is not being true. Jesus, Who had all power and authority gave this power to the local church.
“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations” this is an absolute command. Some say it is not, I guess that’s maybe the way the church at Jerusalem because the Lord scattered them, then they would go and after they did look at the explosion of Christians and churches. I am a firm believer that a church must, it is not an option but a command to support mission work in the world. I also believe a church should use every tool at her disposal to preach the gospel and doctrine of the scriptures as far in the world as they can.
Next the Lord commanded, “baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:” Again this authority or power is not given to just anyone but the local church. It also is a command with authority. Baptism is the second most important thing a new born again believer can do. Baptism is not an option it is a command both of the church and the born again Christian. Baptism unifies us with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, but it is also a must to be a unified member of a local church. Acts 2:41 “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.” Look, Three Thousand souls were born again, baptized, and added to the church at Jerusalem, what a blessed day. The little church Jesus started just started growing into that super church Jesus promised. Matthew 16:18 “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
Next the Lord commanded, “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you…” Once they are a believer, been baptized, and part of the church, then as Pastors, Ministers, and Elders in the church we are commanded to teach them to be part of the pillar and ground of truth or the church. Church membership is a blessing from God, because He sets the members in the church as it pleased Him. 1 Corinthians 12:24 “For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked:” It should be treated like a blessing and if people cannot consider it a blessing and honor it, they ought to be excluded. The church MUST be in unity. It is the churches duty not to please people but to teach them.
And Jesus ends with the Great Promise, “…and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” A church that is faithful to Jesus then He will be faithful to her. This promise is our strength and power to always walk in the truth and keep the church as the Pillar and Ground of truth, “…But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.” 1 Timothy 3:15 The church honors the truth of the bible and as long as we do, we have nothing to fear. The world hates the truth, some believers do not stand on the truth, but the church must stand on the truth no matter what always know, she is what Jesus has made her. Being worldly will only destroy the church, secularism has never helped a church. Churches belong to Jesus not us; we are the church that belongs to Jesus, we are what we are by God’s grace.
God bless the churches and their works!