If you were a Pastor of a Church and you were going to leave that Church and never be able to return to it, what would you tell the members of that Church? Well, you would probably suggest ways for the members to depend upon God. Such was the problem facing Paul as he left the Church at Corinth for the last time. What could he tell them that would assure them that God would always be there to help? What should they do to assure God's help?

This is not unlike the Church of God today. The original, corporate Church of God for our era, the WCG, has fragmented into over two hundred corporate churches, some large, some small. But these newer corporate churches are not static either. Each is seeing adherents come and go, some to other groups, but many to study and worship by themselves. In addition, and unfortunately, some die along the way.

Do Paul’s words of encouragement to the Corinthian church apply to those of us in the Church of God today too? Again, what do Paul’s words tell us that assures us that God is always by our side to help? What can we do to assure God’s help?

Today, I want to show you that God has promised He can always be there for you, then give you four objectives, four personal goals, which, if we will strive for them, will assure that God will bless us by always being by our side.

In Heb 13:5, Paul writes:

Paul was quoting from Joshua 1:5, but his words apply directly to the importance of materialism in our lives today.

We need not depend upon worldly possessions because God promises here that He will never leave us. That is a difficult lesson for us to learn because, in our world, materialism equals security.

God can be reached if we seek Him. God will let us go if we don't seek Him.

Let’s continue on in verse 3:

Verse 19 shows us his reward:

Oh, that Israel and the United States would be blessed with peace by being fully committed to God.

God rewarded Asa with peace.

As I asked before, What can we do, in our lives, to assure that God will always be by our side? Let me offer four ways. The story of Asa should give us a clue.

Point #1. We must become or continually strive to become perfect. We must be fully committed to the Eternal every day of our lives.

Let's look at some scriptures that say that:

Are we looking at ourselves to become perfect when we gossip, bicker, or find more enjoyment in worldly pursuits than with pleasing God? "Perfect" means complete or mature. It comes from the Greek word Teleioi, G5046.

1 Cor 9:24 [NIV] Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.

We need to strive to win in our race to qualify for the kingdom. We must work like athletes preparing for their events. We need to run to win. We must not let our crown slip away through complacency.

Phil 2:14 [NIV] Do all things without murmurings and disputings: {15} so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe

Brethren, we know that we live in a crooked and depraved generation, but do we shine as stars in the universe? How do we react to adversity? Do people say of us, "now there goes a real Christian"? Look at your lifestyle and answer that about yourself. And don’t become self-righteous about it.

Yes, Paul pressed for the goal of the Kingdom of God, knowing he was not yet perfect.

God gave us church leaders to help us gain perfection but these church leaders can only help us. They can not make us perfect. That’s up to us individually.

Point #2. Be of Good Comfort to Each Other.

We are talking about compassion.

Mat 5:7 [NKJV] Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.

We must be merciful to others. This is love. But from a selfish standpoint, we need to obtain mercy for ourselves, as well. We are not pure and white. We must depend upon God to be merciful to us as well. From the model prayer Jesus left us in Luke 11:4 (CJB), "Forgive us our sins, for we too forgive everyone who has wronged us."

The leper begged Jesus to heal him and He could not refuse. Jesus had compassion. Do we have compassion for those with problems they seem unable to solve? Or do we shrug our shoulders and say, "They brought their problems on themselves"?

(Mat 9:36-38 NKJV) But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. {37} Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. {38} "Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."

We must want Christ to save humanity. We must be sensitive to other's needs. Husbands must be sensitive to wives' needs and wives must be sensitive to husbands' needs. Same thing toward children. We all need to comfort each other. We all need to pray for more people who are willing to help the needy and unwashed. There's much work to do for others.

Gal 5:22-23 [NIV] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, {23} gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Notice that the fruits of God's Spirit include patience, kindness and goodness. Empathy, sensitivity, and compassion are certainly included. Do we have these traits in abundance?

Gal 6:2 [NIV] Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

How concerned are we of others' problems - even those they seemingly bring on themselves? In the example we just read about in Mark, Jesus didn't ask the man what he did which might have caused him to catch leprosy. We need to pray for each other and be willing to help each other.

We should use the promise of sonship to be given at Christ's return to encourage each other to hang on and not give up. Do we care enough about others to know when to encourage them? Do we care enough about our own salvation to motivate ourselves to help others?

What comment could one add to that? Let’s read verses 3 and 4 again.

Paul was writing about the people of Asia minor but his description applies to us today as well.

The world around us is giving itself over to sensuality with a continual desire for more. I'm not talking about just sexual sensuality. I'm talking about anything that is satisfying yet harmful to us....drugs, alcohol, some types of music, the emphasis on pleasure, violent movies and TV, all kinds of things. We must put off these things and put on a new self.

We need to get to know others better and show that we care. We must not continue in anger. We need to put out malice. Malice and mercy are not compatible.

We need to visit widows and divorcees and ask them over. We need to go out of our way to be sure they are not in need of friendship, care or understanding. Again, the ways of this pleasure seeking world must not be allowed to permeate our thoughts and actions.

Our reward for keeping ourselves free of the ways of the world is given in Revelation 7.

Rev 7:14-17 [NIV]......... "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. {15} Therefore, "they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. {16} Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. {17} For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

We must put on compassion.

Point #3. We Must Be of One Mind. What does this mean? Must we be automatons?

Brethren, Christ is not divided. There are not multiple Christs, one for every opinion of every person. We must all have the same mind as Christ.

1 Cor 1:10 [NIV]  I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.

How seriously do we consider the opinions of others? Do we allow that they could be right or do we insist on our own opinion? Do we prove all things or simply reject others' opinions out of hand? There are many who meet alone these days because they disagree with others over some minor point of doctrine. Perhaps they can not see the forest for the trees.

We must be harmonious, brethren, and of one mind. We can all be of the same mind with each other if we all have the mind of Christ. There’s only one Christ so we should have only one mind. Let's elevate our thoughts to that of Christ.

The New King James records this verse thus:

Point #4. Live in Peace.

Isn't that our goal? How important is it to be a peacemaker? There are many troublemakers who think they will be sons of God.

Rom 14:19 [NIV] Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.

Even when others are antagonistic, we should try to return a peaceful response if we can. That doesn't mean we have to knuckle under or yield from our principles.

Real Christians have the same Spirit. We may have minor differences but we still have the same Spirit. We can't squabble with each other if we all have the same Spirit. We should discuss but should not squabble. Real Christians should therefore be able to live peaceably.

That's a really encouraging promise for those of us living in these Last Days.

We must dedicate ourselves against what the Jews call "lashon hara", the evil tongue.

Paul concludes and I conclude with:

Paul is bidding a fond farewell to the Corinthian church. He leaves them with the four points we have covered today:

If we do these things, God will always be there with us when we need Him.

Sermon given by Wayne Bedwell

24 April 2010