OceanSide church of Christ
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WILL
Victor M.
Eskew
INTRODUCTION
A.
All transitions within
congregations seem to be difficult.
B.
The transition sets
everyone’s nerves on edge.
1.
Our hearts ache with
deep concern for the congregation of which we are a part.
2.
Our minds begin to
wonder and ask questions.
3.
These things are
natural as we seek to reach a state of equilibrium again.
C.
This is the place
where
1.
Kathleen and I are
moving to a new field of labor.
2.
Hearts are saddened by
our departure and those same hearts are concerned for
3.
Some may wonder: “Will OceanSide
survive?”
D.
The answer to that
question is a resounding:
“Yes!” As long as some key
components stay in place, this congregation can be in existence until the Lord
returns.
A.
One of the figures
used to describe the local church is a sheepfold (Acts 20:28; I Pet.
5:2).
B.
Over this fold, the
Lord has placed men called shepherds.
C.
The shepherds have the
responsibility of watching the sheep.
1.
Acts
20:28
Take heed
therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock…
2.
I Peter
5:2
Feed the
flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight
thereof…
3.
Hebrews
13:17
Obey them
that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your
souls…
E.
There are many things
these shepherds must be on the look out for:
1.
Dangerous predators
that seek to devour the sheep.
2.
Sheep that tend to
wander off from the flock.
3.
Sheep that develop
ailments and sicknesses.
F.
If the pastors will
immediately and diligently respond, the church at
1.
That puts these men in
your business.
2.
That puts these men in
the decision-making mode.
3.
This causes these men
to have to take actions that many seem to hurt for a time.
II.
WITH SOUND PREACHING OF THE WORD OF GOD
A.
I Corinthians
1:21
For after
that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by
the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
B.
There are some
requirements of this preaching that make it successful:
1.
It must be the Word of
God (II Tim. 4:2).
2.
It must involve the
whole counsel of God (Acts 20:26-27).
3.
It must be spoken out
of love for the hearers (Eph. 4:15).
4.
It must be done with
no partiality, or, respect of persons (I Tim. 5:20-21).
5.
It must be done
boldly, that is courageously (Eph. 6:19-20).
6.
It must involve both
the negatives and the positives of the Word (II Tim. 2:4).
C.
Sometimes we have a
problem confusing the content of the message and the manner of
delivery.
1.
The manner of delivery
involves the flesh of man.
a.
I liked that sermon. I
didn’t like the other sermon.
b.
Our analysis is subjective, coming from our
feelings.
2.
The content of the message deals with the inner
man.
a.
It is the truth that has the power to save men’s souls (Rom. 1:16; Heb.
4:12).
b. A
message filled with the Word of God from a less than eloquent speaker can still
convert souls.
D.
I sincerely believe
that brother Rodgers will be a man who speaks sound doctrine (Tit. 2:1) and who
speaks as the oracles of God (I Pet. 4:11).
1.
Listen to the content
of his messages. Take good
notes.
2.
Make application of
those truths to your life.
III. WITH
DILIGENT LABORERS FULFILLING THEIR DUTIES
A.
The church is not a
“one-man” show.
B.
The church is a
vineyard that is being worked by many laborers (Matt.
20:1).
For the
kingdom of heaven is like a man that is an householder, which went out early in
the morning to hire laborers into his vineyard.
1.
One man can’t do all
the work in the vineyard.
2.
Many laborers are
required to get all the work done.
3.
Thus, every member is
exhorted to labor and toil in the kingdom.
a.
I Corinthians 15:58
Therefore,
my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of
the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the
Lord.
b.
Hebrews 4:11
Let us
labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same
example of unbelief.
c.
I Thessalonians 1:3
Remembering
without ceasing, your work of faith, and labor of love, and patience of hope in
our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father.
C.
This congregation has
about 60% - 65% of her members who labor diligently.
1.
These individuals need
to keep doing the works that need to be done.
2.
The remaining 40% need
to find them a place in the work of the Lord and get busy doing their
duties.
3.
Why? You will be judged according to your
works (Rev. 20:12).
And I saw
the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is
the book of life: and the dead were
judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their
works.
IV. WITH
LOVE FOR ONE ANOTHER
A.
According to I
Corinthians 13:1-3, we can be doing everything right, but if we fail to have
love for each other, our efforts profit us nothing.
…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.
1.
We often connect
action to love (See I John 3:17-18).
2.
It is interesting in I
Corinthians 13 that Paul says we can have actions and still have no
love.
3.
Love also has to
reside deep within the heart of man.
B.
NOTE: Loving one another is more than
tolerating one another.
C.
According to John
13:34-35, the love that we have for each has two major
characteristics:
1.
It is a love that is
like Jesus’ love for us.
2.
It is a love that the
world can see that proves we are Jesus’ disciples.
A new
commandment I give unto you, That ye should love one another; as I have loved
you, that ye also love one another.
By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one
to another.
V.
WITH EVERY MEMBER GIVING AS THEY HAVE BEEN
PROSPERED
A.
Money is needed for
the Lord’s work to survive in any given locale.
1.
We need money to pay
the preacher.
2.
We need money to send
missionaries to foreign lands.
3.
We need money to do
benevolence.
4.
We need money to take
care of the expediencies of the Lord’s work.
B.
Question: What would happen to the Lord’s church
at
C.
II Corinthians
9:7
Every man
according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of
necessity: for God loveth a
cheerful giver.
D.
Let me challenge this
congregation to make up her mind collectively to all in her power to meet the
budget the elders have set.
CONCLUSION
A.
Will
B.
Right now it is the
departure that is hard. It is the
loss that causes grief. It is the
good-byes that bring sadness and tears.
C.
It may be that we will
never see some of your again, but the old song provides us all a wonderful
hope: “If we never meet again this
side of heaven, I will greet you on that shore, that beautiful
shore.”
D. Friends, let live to make that hope reality!!!
