1. The Problem of CARE!
1 Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution.
2 Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables.
3 Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom,
whom we may appoint over this business;
4 but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”
5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas,
a proselyte from Antioch,
6 whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them.
7 Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.
-Acts 6:1-7 (TMB)
2. The Problem of COURT!
1st Corinthians 6:-11 (The Message Bible)
1-4And how dare you take each other to court! When you think you have been wronged, does it make any sense to go before a court that knows nothing of God's ways instead of a family of Christians? The day is coming when the world is going to stand before a jury made up of followers of Jesus. If someday you are going to rule on the world's fate, wouldn't it be a good idea to practice on some of these smaller cases? Why, we're even going to judge angels! So why not these everyday affairs? As these disagreements and wrongs surface, why would you ever entrust them to the judgment of people you don't trust in any other way?
5-6I say this as bluntly as I can to wake you up to the stupidity of what you're doing. Is it possible that there isn't one levelheaded person among you who can make fair decisions when disagreements and disputes come up? I don't believe it. And here you are taking each other to court before people who don't even believe in God! How can they render justice if they don't believe in the God of justice?
7-8These court cases are an ugly blot on your community. Wouldn't it be far better to just take it, to let yourselves be wronged and forget it? All you're doing is providing fuel for more wrong, more injustice, bringing more hurt to the people of your own spiritual family.
9-11Don't you realize that this is not the way to live? Unjust people who don't care about God will not be joining in his kingdom. Those who use and abuse each other, use and abuse sex, use and abuse the earth and everything in it, don't qualify as citizens in God's kingdom. A number of you know from experience what I'm talking about, for not so long ago you were on that list. Since then, you've been cleaned up and given a fresh start by Jesus, our Master, our Messiah, and by our God present in us, the Spirit.
3. The Problem of CARNALITY!
1-2I also received a report of scandalous sex within your church family, a kind that wouldn't be tolerated even outside the church: One of your men is sleeping with his stepmother. And you're so above it all that it doesn't even faze you! Shouldn't this break your hearts? Shouldn't it bring you to your knees in tears? Shouldn't this person and his conduct be confronted and dealt with?
3-5I'll tell you what I would do. Even though I'm not there in person, consider me right there with you, because I can fully see what's going on. I'm telling you that this is wrong. You must not simply look the other way and hope it goes away on its own. Bring it out in the open and deal with it in the authority of Jesus our Master. Assemble the community—I'll be present in spirit with you and our Master Jesus will be present in power. Hold this man's conduct up to public scrutiny. Let him defend it if he can! But if he can't, then out with him! It will be totally devastating to him, of course, and embarrassing to you. But better devastation and embarrassment than damnation. You want him on his feet and forgiven before the Master on the Day of Judgment.
2nd Corinthians 2:5-11 (The Message Bible)
5-8Now, regarding the one who started all this—the person in question who caused all this pain—I want you to know that I am not the one injured in this as much as, with a few exceptions, all of you. So I don't want to come down too hard. What the majority of you agreed to as punishment is punishment enough. Now is the time to forgive this man and help him back on his feet. If all you do is pour on the guilt, you could very well drown him in it.
My counsel now is to pour on the love.
9-11The focus of my letter wasn't on punishing the offender but on getting you to take responsibility for the health of the church. So if you forgive him, I forgive him. Don't think I'm carrying around a list of personal grudges. The fact is that I'm joining in with your forgiveness, as Christ is with us, guiding us. After all, we don't want to unwittingly give Satan an opening for yet more mischief—
we're not oblivious to his sly ways!
2nd Corinthians 7:8-12 (The Message Bible)
8-9I know I distressed you greatly with my letter. Although I felt awful at the time, I don't feel at all bad now that I see how it turned out. The letter upset you, but only for a while. Now I'm glad—not that you were upset, but that you were jarred into turning things around. You let the distress bring you to God, not drive you from him. The result was all gain, no loss.
10Distress that drives us to God does that. It turns us around. It gets us back in the way of salvation. We never regret that kind of pain. But those who let distress drive them away from God are full of regrets, end up on a deathbed of regrets.
11-13And now, isn't it wonderful all the ways in which this distress has goaded you closer to God? You're more alive, more concerned, more sensitive, more reverent, more human, more passionate, more responsible. Looked at from any angle, you've come out of this with purity of heart. And that is what I was hoping for in the first place when I wrote the letter. My primary concern was not for the one who did the wrong or even the one wronged, but for you—that you would realize and act upon the deep, deep ties between us before God. That's what happened—and we felt just great.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
The Priority of The Church!
Our Scripture Text: Acts 1:8b
“And you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem,
and in all Judea and Samaria,
and to the end of the earth.”
-Acts 1:8b (New King James Version)
1. The Priority is Mandatory!
“… you SHALL BE witnesses to Me …” -Acts 1:8
2. The Priority involves your being a Martyr!
“… you shall be WITNESSES to Me …” -Acts 1:8
3. The Priority is to be carried out Globally!
“ … in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the END OF THE EARTH.” -Acts 1:8
“And you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem,
and in all Judea and Samaria,
and to the end of the earth.”
-Acts 1:8b (New King James Version)
1. The Priority is Mandatory!
“… you SHALL BE witnesses to Me …” -Acts 1:8
2. The Priority involves your being a Martyr!
“… you shall be WITNESSES to Me …” -Acts 1:8
3. The Priority is to be carried out Globally!
“ … in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the END OF THE EARTH.” -Acts 1:8
The Power in The Church!
Our Scripture Text: Acts 1:8a
8 “But you shall receive power
when the Holy Spirit has come upon you;” -Acts 1:8a
1. It’s Promised Power!
16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.
18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.
2. It’ Supernatural Power!
“… when The Holy Spirit has come upon you;” -Acts 1:8
3. It’s Personal Power!
“ …you shall receive power …” -Acts 1:8
4. It’s Dynamic, Life Changing Power!
“power” -Acts 1:8
Word Study: Power- Power (1411) (dunamis from dunamai = to be able, to have power) power especially achieving power. It refers to intrinsic power or inherent ability, the power or ability to carry out some function, the potential for functioning in some way (power, might, strength, ability, capability), the power residing in a thing by virtue of its nature.
Dunamis is the implied ability or capacity to perform. It conveys the idea of effective, productive energy, rather than that which is raw and unbridled.
8 “But you shall receive power
when the Holy Spirit has come upon you;” -Acts 1:8a
1. It’s Promised Power!
16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.
18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.
2. It’ Supernatural Power!
“… when The Holy Spirit has come upon you;” -Acts 1:8
3. It’s Personal Power!
“ …you shall receive power …” -Acts 1:8
4. It’s Dynamic, Life Changing Power!
“power” -Acts 1:8
Word Study: Power- Power (1411) (dunamis from dunamai = to be able, to have power) power especially achieving power. It refers to intrinsic power or inherent ability, the power or ability to carry out some function, the potential for functioning in some way (power, might, strength, ability, capability), the power residing in a thing by virtue of its nature.
Dunamis is the implied ability or capacity to perform. It conveys the idea of effective, productive energy, rather than that which is raw and unbridled.
The People In The Church!
1” The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, 2 until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, …” -Acts 1:1, 2 (New King James Version)
13 “And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying: Peter, James, John, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot; and Judas the son of James. 14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication,[b] with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.”
-Acts 1:13, 14 (NKJV)
5” And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven”. –Acts 2:5 (NKJV)
“And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” 41 Then those who gladly[g] received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.” –Acts 2:40, 41 (NKJV)
1 “Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists,[a] because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. 2 Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. 3 Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; 4 but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”
5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch, 6 whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them.
7 Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.” –Acts 6:1-7 (NKJV)
1. The Leadership
“… the apostles whom He had chosen, …” -Acts 1:2b
2. The Laity
“And when they had entered,” -Acts 1:13a
3. The Large Diversity
“… devout men, from every nation under heaven”. –Acts 2:5b
4. The Laborers
“Seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of The Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business;” Acts 6:3a
13 “And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying: Peter, James, John, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot; and Judas the son of James. 14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication,[b] with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.”
-Acts 1:13, 14 (NKJV)
5” And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven”. –Acts 2:5 (NKJV)
“And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” 41 Then those who gladly[g] received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.” –Acts 2:40, 41 (NKJV)
1 “Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists,[a] because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. 2 Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. 3 Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; 4 but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”
5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch, 6 whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them.
7 Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.” –Acts 6:1-7 (NKJV)
1. The Leadership
“… the apostles whom He had chosen, …” -Acts 1:2b
2. The Laity
“And when they had entered,” -Acts 1:13a
3. The Large Diversity
“… devout men, from every nation under heaven”. –Acts 2:5b
4. The Laborers
“Seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of The Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business;” Acts 6:3a
Sermon: The Promise of The Church!
Our Text: Matthew 16:13-18 (New King James Version)
13 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi,
He asked His disciples, saying,
“Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”
14 So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah,
and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered and said,
“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
17 Jesus answered and said to him,
“Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah,
for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you,
but My Father who is in heaven.
18 And I also say to you that you are Peter,
and on this rock I will build My church,
and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”
The Promise of The Church
1. It was a Righteous Promise!
2. It was a Revealed Promise!
3. It was a solid Rock Promise!
4. It was a Redemptive Promise!
13 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi,
He asked His disciples, saying,
“Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”
14 So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah,
and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered and said,
“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
17 Jesus answered and said to him,
“Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah,
for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you,
but My Father who is in heaven.
18 And I also say to you that you are Peter,
and on this rock I will build My church,
and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”
The Promise of The Church
1. It was a Righteous Promise!
2. It was a Revealed Promise!
3. It was a solid Rock Promise!
4. It was a Redemptive Promise!
Thursday, February 10, 2011
THANK GOD FOR DR. BERNARD BLACK!
Rev. Dr. Bernard Black is without question one of my favorite preachers! But more than being a favorite preacher of mine, Dr. Bernard Black is a man who loves The LORD Jesus Christ and has served him faithfully for more than four decades as Pastor of the famed South Phoenix Baptist Church in Phoenix Arizona.
In addition to his service as a committed and caring pastor, Dr. Black has a long history of service as President of the General Missionary Baptist State Convention of Arizona Incorporated as well as serving on the national level for the National Missionary Bapstist State Convention of America Incorporated.
The LORD has blessed Dr. Black to accomplish a number of things for His glory and our good. Those things include such blessings as: The Bernard Black Elementary School in Phoenix Arizona is named for this great preacher and good citizen. The still relatively new construction and addition of a new Fellowship Hall/Multi-Purpose space at South Phoenix Baptist Church, etc.
All that said, Dr. Black will be honored this Saturday, February 12, 2011 at a special event held in his honor. The event will be held in the Hope Center of the First Institutional Baptist Church, Rev. Dr. Warren H. Stewart Sr., pastor, in Phoenix Arizona.
It's my understanding that there are no more seats available. All tables have been sold out. If you have not on tap to attend this event, will you please join me in thanking our God for Pastor Black and say a special prayer for him, his family and his church.
For your years of Christian service to our God and His church ... THANK YOU DR. BLACK!
Safe in CHRIST,
pastor fort
In addition to his service as a committed and caring pastor, Dr. Black has a long history of service as President of the General Missionary Baptist State Convention of Arizona Incorporated as well as serving on the national level for the National Missionary Bapstist State Convention of America Incorporated.
The LORD has blessed Dr. Black to accomplish a number of things for His glory and our good. Those things include such blessings as: The Bernard Black Elementary School in Phoenix Arizona is named for this great preacher and good citizen. The still relatively new construction and addition of a new Fellowship Hall/Multi-Purpose space at South Phoenix Baptist Church, etc.
All that said, Dr. Black will be honored this Saturday, February 12, 2011 at a special event held in his honor. The event will be held in the Hope Center of the First Institutional Baptist Church, Rev. Dr. Warren H. Stewart Sr., pastor, in Phoenix Arizona.
It's my understanding that there are no more seats available. All tables have been sold out. If you have not on tap to attend this event, will you please join me in thanking our God for Pastor Black and say a special prayer for him, his family and his church.
For your years of Christian service to our God and His church ... THANK YOU DR. BLACK!
Safe in CHRIST,
pastor fort
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
HALLELUJAH!
GOD IS AWESOME!
It's been a little while since my last blog.
I've been busy with several things.
Our revival just ended. The LORD JESUS CHRIST really used our guest preacher, the Reverend Jerry M. Carter Jr.
Thank you JESUS!
safe in CHRIST,
pastor fort
It's been a little while since my last blog.
I've been busy with several things.
Our revival just ended. The LORD JESUS CHRIST really used our guest preacher, the Reverend Jerry M. Carter Jr.
Thank you JESUS!
safe in CHRIST,
pastor fort
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