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Sermon from Dec. 25, 2011
Brother Joseph Barr
Mark 16:15-16 “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.”
We want to give God thanks for allowing us to come one more Sunday in 2011. I just want to thanks the Lord for being with us for another year.
What I want to do today is talk about next year. I’m speaking from my heart. I want us to think and pray on some things. There are three things. I’m just a minister. Diane & I have been with this church since conception. We’ve come a long way over all these years. We came into this building in the spring, 2004 and we’re still here. Granted, we’re struggling financially but that is temporary. We’re serving a mighty God and doing His work so we will prevail.
The three things we need to accomplish are:
1. A steady attendance of 100 and above. So everybody focus on winning at least one soul to Christ in 2012.
2. We need to have all of our children in Sunday school and Bible study on Wednesday night. Brethren, we are Christians. We are disciples of Jesus Christ – we are His followers. And if the word of God is important to us and is in fact what saves us (Romans 15:12 says it is), don’t you think then that it’s important to not neglect our children’s education. It is horrible to have your child slip in secular knowledge, so how much worse is it to miss the Lord’s school? We’ve been neglecting the spiritual education of our children.
3. Somehow, throughout all our circumstances, one way or another, we need us a church van. The reason we need it is to pick up children round about for Sunday school. We need it paid for straight out. I haven’t lost my mind. I have a goal.
Those are the 3 things I’d like to see us to next year. As we continue to grow and love each other, let us grown in love.
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Sermon from Dec. 17, 2011
Brother Joseph Barr
James 2:1-4 “My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. 2For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; 3And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: 4Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?”
The Churches’ Response During a Down Economy
We are experiencing a depression. It’s been going on for about 3 years and doesn’t look good for the coming year. I’m speaking to us not as an American economy but as members of Jesus’ economy. I want you to know, it doesn’t matter what goes on out there because we have a Jehovah God watching over us. And we have a responsibility to our God and to our brethren.
In our Bible reading today, it sets the tone of our attitude toward people that are coming into the church. We are going to baptize rich people and poor – financially speaking – people. What is our duty as a church to all these people that are coming in? James says if you’re in the church, you can’t show partiality. Everybody is somebody important to us. Each member, whether rich or poor, should have a giving spirit. If you only have 2 pennies, you should be willing to give one away. Paul said in II Corinthians 2:8, “Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him.” 1 John 3:16-17 says “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?”
If you see a brother in need and you have the ability to help but you don’t. The Bible uses the word ‘need’. In James 2:5: “Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?” God chose the poor people. Rich people think they’re too high and mighty to join the church of Christ.
Jesus said, “When you give a feast, invite the poor, the main, the weak. Invite the people that can’t pay you back. In Luke 4:18 & 19, Jesus says, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” Jesus says some of you are too poor to miss church! Jesus didn’t just come here to save our souls – He came here to save our lives. He came to help our homes and help our marriages. But part of our poverty is that wee think we know so much - we’re hard-headed. I know what the gospel has to offer. I’ve been preaching for 30 years. I’ve seen some things. You can’t be dumb around Jesus.
When you obey the gospel, a lot of foolishness has been put aside. Your decisions are better. You are where you are because of your past decisions. If you’re black and you’re in a mess, don’t blame the white man. If you’re white and you’re in a mess, who are you going to blame? Nobody but yourself.
That was my first point, and the 2nd point is about the strong and the weak. Ephesians 6:10 says, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.” In Hebrews 5:13-14 the Bible says, “For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. 14But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” The strong have an obligation to support the weak. In Romans 15:1-3 the Bible says, “We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification. 3For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.” See, the poor might come into the church and say, “I need $100.” That might be what they want but it’s not what they need. If you have ability and opportunity, then you also have obligation. If the love of God is in me, then I have the ability and opportunity, then comes responsibility. “To him who knoweth to do good and doeth it not, to him it is a sin.” Acts 4:31 says, “And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.” Holy Spirit was involved then but it’s not now. We can’t do it the way the apostles did. Psalms 24:1 says, “The earth is the LORD's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.”Get all the money you want to have but be careful how you use it. That’s between you and God. Don’t expect the church to take you from the bed you made for yourself. Galatians 6:7-8 says, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” You’ve made the bed…you’ve got to get out of it.
Don’t expect the brethren to pay your bills. When your family goes into crisis and you’re the man in our family, then you’ve got to make some shifts in your priority. If it’s between Helig-Meyers, the cable bill and the rent, you pay the rent. Have them cut that cable out. Call Mr. Helig Meyers and tell him you lost your job and he needs to come get that furniture back. You’re too poor to be smoking cigarettes! You’re too poor to be drinking beer! You’re too poor to be going to movies! You want me to sacrifice from my family so that you can watch cable at your house. It’s not fair!
1 Timothy 5:8 says, “But if any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.” Please understand, I love everyone of you, I’m not minding your business. If there’s an economic crisis, then go into crisis mode. Everybody’s got to make changes. We’re a family but we’ve got to be sensible. As you grow spiritually, things will grow economically.
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