WHO
ARE WE?
The churches of Christ
Greet You
(Romans
Intro... Read 2 Peter 1:12-13; 3:1-2
By way of encouragement we want to help all more
plainly see
a. who we are as
Christians
b. and what we are to
teach
and preach.
I. WE ARE GOD'S MESSENGERS
1. In verse 41 of the judgment scene of
Matthew 25,
a. we learn that hell
has been
prepared for the devil and his angels.
b. The Greek word for
angels
can also be translated "messengers."
1. Therefore, the devil has messengers or angels (Read 2 Cor.
2. But God also has messengers.
c. John wrote to the
angel or
"messenger" of the seven churches of Asia
(Rev. 2:1, 8, 12, 18; 3:1, 7, 14).
2.. We today are also God's messengers or "angels."
a. As messengers we
are to
preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ,
b. for the Gospel is
God's
power to save (Rom. 1:16).
3. God has many people in our cities and in all the world.
a. God calls these
people by
the Gospel (2 Thess. 2:14).
b. But they must hear
the call
before they can become the chosen.
c. Unfortunately, many
are
called but few are chosen (Matt. 22:14).
4. Souls are chosen in Christ (Eph. 1:4).
a. Thus, our job as
messengers
b. is to take the
Gospel to
the whole world (Mark
5. Every lost person that God allows you to meet needs to hear
the
Gospel.
a. Now you won't
always have
time to preach to them in passing,
b. but you can give
them a
good tract,
1. or at least invite them to attend the worship services
2. of the church of Christ in their area.
6. When you do that you are planting the seed.
a. The seed is the
Word of God
(Luke 8:11).
b. But before the seed
can
grow it must be planted and watered.
7. Our job as messengers (God's angels) is to plant and water the
seed.
a. God then brings the
increase (1 Cor. 3:6).
b. If we don't plant
and
water, who will?
8. Who are we? What are we to preach?
II. WE ARE GOD'S SERVANTS
1. Paul said, “For we preach not ourselves,
but
Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your servants
for Jesus sake” (2 Cor. 4:5).
2. When you became a servant of God you became a servant of all
mankind,
a. but Jesus is the only MASTER.
b. A servant's
job is to do what the master tells him to do (Read Luke
c. The servant
is to learn from and follow the example of the master.
3. Our master tells us to seek and save the lost (Matt 28:19).
a. As servants we are
to give
meat to the hungry, drink to the thirsty,
b. take into our care
the
stranger, clothe the naked,
1. visit the sick, the widow, and the fatherless,
2. go and teach the prisoners.
3. And we do these things for Jesus’ sake
4. or as if we are doing them unto Jesus (Matt. 25:35-40).
4. As servants, we are all on the same level.
a. The preacher is not
to be
exalted.
b. The preacher is
just a
minister by whom you believed (1 Cor. 3:3-5).
5. Yes, honor the preacher for his works sake,
a. take care of the
preacher
by giving him the support he needs,
b. but don't put him
on a
pestle as though he's more than a man.
c. All men and women
are on
the same level before God (Gal.
6. Who are we, and what are we to preach?
III. WE ARE GOD'S PREACHERS OF REPENTANCE.
1. There is not enough time
a. to tell you about
all of
God's preachers of repentance.
b. But Enoch, the 7th
from
Adam, was the first (Jude 14-15).
2. Then Noah, a preacher of righteousness,
a. preached repentance
to a
wicked world (2 Pet. 2:5).
b. Jonah didn't want
to,
c. but he preached
repentance
to the city of Nineveh.
3. Jeremiah, Isaiah, and all the other major and minor prophets
a. were preachers of
repentance.
b. John the Baptizer
came on
the scene saying:
“Repent ye, for the kingdom of Heaven is at hand” (Matt. 3:2).
4. Jesus’ first sermon was on repentance (Matt. 4:17).
a. Loved ones, we too
must
tell people to repent!
b. God wants all
people
“to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:4).
5. But if a person does not repent he will perish (Luke 13:3).
a. That's why God is
so
longsuffering with us,
b. He doesn't want
anyone to
perish, He wants us to repent (2 Pet. 3:9).
6. Brethren, we must tell people to repent of their lying,
laziness, wickedness,
and drunkenness.
a. We must tell
thieves to
stop stealing, and homosexuals & prostitutes to change their lives.
b. We must tell males
to stop
getting our unmarried women and girls pregnant;
c. and tell females to
stop dressing
like prostitutes.
7. We are preachers of repentance.
8. Who are we, and what are we to preach?
IV. WE ARE SONS OF GOD.
1. The Bible says (Read 1 John 3:2).
a. As sons of God, we
are to
be bold as lions (Acts 4:13),
b. but gentle as lambs
(2 Cor.
2:7).
2. As sons of God, we are to love each other
a. as brothers and
sisters in
the same family.
b. Jesus said (Read
John
13:34-35).
3. We should not be struggling against each other,
a. for we are all
flesh and
blood.
b. Our struggle should
be
against the spiritual forces of wickedness (Eph. 6:12).
4. God has only one family, part of it is in Heaven ,
a. the other part is
here on
earth (Eph. 3:14-15).
b. 1 John 4:20 says
(Read).
1. Verse 18 says (Read).
2. By love we are to serve one another (Gal. 5:13).
5. As sons of God, we are to grow into full grown, strong,
faithful
disciples.
a. The Bible says
(Read 1 Pet.
2:2-3).
b. There are four
absolutes in
physical growth: food, breathing, exercise, and rest.
6. For Christian growth, all four of these absolutes are
spiritual.
a. Our spiritual food
is God's
Word (the Bible).
b. We should read it,
study
it, memorize it, practice it, and hear it taught and preached.
7. Our spiritual breathing is prayer.
a. We must spend time
every
day talking to God about everything we do;
b. about our needs and
problems;
c. about our family,
friends and
enemies;
1. and tell Him how much we love Him
2. and how grateful we are to be in His family..
8. Our spiritual exercise comes by helping others...
a. telling others
about
Christ,
b. giving time and
energy to
God's work,
c. and being a living
testimony to the world you live in (Rom. 12:1-2).
9. Our spiritual rest means worship: both public and private
worship.
a. Spiritual rest
means being
still and waiting on God.
b. It means physical
and
spiritual renewal.
10. As Sons of God, Jesus wants us to have victory over sin in our
life.
a. The Bible says,
“For
whatever is born of God overcomes the world,
and this is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith” (1
John 5:4).
b. The Christian life
is
difficult, but victory is assured because
“Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world” (1 John
4:4).
11. But even with victory assured,
a. there will be acts
of
disobedience and failures
b. because of your
human
weakness.
12. However, God has provided a means
a. by which you can be
cleansed of daily sins.
b. His Word says, “If
we
confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to
forgive us our
sins and
to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
13. So, when you sin, don't try to deny it or excuse it.
a. Rather, confess it
to God,
b. and pray that the
thought
of your heart be forgiven you (Acts 8:22).
V. WHAT ARE WE TO PREACH?
1. We are to preach the cross of Christ,
that is,
a. we preach Christ,
and Him
crucified (1 Cor. 1:18, 23).
b. We preach Jesus -
the
matchless Son of God.
2. Jesus - born of a virgin in the little town of Bethlehem.
a. Jesus - raised in
the town
of Nazareth until about 30 years old.
b. Jesus - baptized by
John in
muddy Jordan.
1. Jesus - being anointed with the Holy Spirit of God as a dove.
2. Jesus - tempted by the devil 40 days in the wilderness.
3. What Are We To Preach? We
Preach…
a. Jesus - walking
around
Galilee making disciples.
b. Jesus - miracle
worker in a
desert land.
c. Jesus - weeping
over the
lost city of Jerusalem.
4. We Preach
a. Jesus -
praying three
times in the garden of Gethsemane.
b. Jesus -
standing
trial before unjust courts.
1. Jesus - beaten, mocked, spit upon.
2. Jesus - crucified for your sins and mine.
3. Jesus - shedding his soul cleansing,
a. church purchasing,
b. New Testament inaugurating blood.
5. We Preach
a. Jesus - being
buried in a
new tomb.
b. Jesus - coming
forth from
that grave on the 3rd day never to die again
c. Jesus - appearing
to His
disciples for about 40 days,
1. telling them to go into all the world preaching repentance
2. and remission sins in His name.
6. We must Preach
a. Jesus - ascending
back to
Heaven on a cloud.
b. Jesus - sitting at
the
right hand of God interceding for you and for me.
c. Jesus - coming back
one of
these days to take His faithful messengers,
1. His faithful servants,
2. His faithful sons home to glory.