What Does Christ Mean to You?
November 4, 2007
Introduction
This morning, we want to ponder some questions together. First of all, “What does Christ mean to you?” Secondly, what does the church mean to you? What does life mean to you? Finally, how important is eternity to you?
Body
I. What does Christ mean to you?
A. In terms of your money.
(Mat 6:19-21 NKJV) "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; {20} "but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. {21} "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
1. We need to give as we have been prospered with cheerfulness.
(2 Cor 9:6-7 NKJV) But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. {7} So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.
2. We give with the purpose of helping every good work.
(2 Cor 9:8) And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.
a. We support the local work out of the contribution.
(1 Cor 9:14 NKJV) Even so the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel.
b. We use it to support those who preach in other lands.
(Mat 28:19-20 NKJV) "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, {20} "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.
When we cannot go, we can help those who can go.
c. We give to help the widows and the orphans.
(James 1:27 KJV) Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
G1980
ἐπισκέπτομαι
episkeptomai
Thayer Definition:
1) to look upon or after, to inspect, examine with the eyes
1a) in order to see how he is, i.e. to visit, go to see one
1a1) the poor and afflicted, the sick
1b) to look upon in order to help or to benefit
1b1) to look after, have care for, provide for: of God
1st. We have many in this congregation who are caring for elderly parents.
2nd. We help others through our contribution to children’s homes and the home for the elderly.
B. Where is Christ in terms of our thoughts?
(Mat 6:22} "The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. {23} "But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
1. We need take time to be sure our eyes can see spiritually.
2. Are we taking time to study together?
a. We have Bible school at 10:00 a.m. Excellent for further study.
b. We have a lesson on Sunday evening which those who attend seem to truly appreciate.
c. We have a Wednesday evening program which I would encourage you to attend for further study.
3. Are we taking time to study individually?
a. Many of you have been, and perhaps still are, daily Bible readers.
b. We need to encourage our children and grandchildren to read Bible stories when they are young.
c. Some of you also use my web page for Bible study.
C. Jesus added a sobering challenge.
(Mat 6:24) "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
1. It is all too easy to get too involved in the world around us, and to let material things squeeze out the spiritual.
2. Paul also warned of the battle with the world around us.
(Rom 12:1-2 NKJV) I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. {2} And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
II. What does the church mean to you?
A. The church is the body of Christ, and we are members.
(1 Cor 12:18-24 NKJV) But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. {19} And if they were all one member, where would the body be? {20} But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. {21} And the eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you"; nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." {22} No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. {23} And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, {24} but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, {25} that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. {26} And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
(Maybe: Blest be the tie that binds)
B. As members of the body, we are to have a purpose.
1. The purpose of the church is stated by Paul.
(Eph 4:11-13 NKJV) And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, {12} for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, {13} till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;
2. Every part, not just the leaders, is to do its share.
(Eph 4:16 NKJV) from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
III. Finally, how important is eternity to you?
(Mat 6:19-24 NKJV) "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; {20} "but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. {21} "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. {22} "The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. {23} "But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness! {24} "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
A. My Cardiologist said I might just live forever. I said, well not in this life.
B. Many live as if they will live forever on this planet, but we won’t.
Conclusion
I. Where is God in your life?
II. Are you prepared to face God in judgment?
III. Are you laying up treasures in heaven?
Scripture quotations marked "NKJV™" are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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