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Actions of An Effective Congregation (Insights in NT)

3/21/2013

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The actions of an effective congregation involve spiritual development, godly examples, family relationships, qualified leaders, respectful connections with the world and doing good deeds with generosity.

Train Yourself for Godliness Enjoying Every Created Thing
The Spirit said in later times that some abandoned the faith and followed deceiving spirits from hypocritical liars. They forbid people to marry and ordered them to abstain from certain foods that God created to be enjoyed by those who knew the truth. God created everything as good and nothing rejected if received with thanksgiving and consecrated by the word of God and prayer. A  minister with good teaching pointed these things out. Have nothing to do with godless myths but train yourself to be godly. Physical training had some value but godliness held promise for both the present and future life.  Put your hope in the living God and Savior of all men. Command and teach these things (1 Tim. 4:1-11). Train yourself for godliness enjoying every created thing while teaching and fixing your hope on the living God.

Be a Godly Example While Exercising Your Gifts
Do not let people look down on your youthfulness but set an example in speech, life, love, faith and purity.  Be devoted to public reading of Scripture, preaching and teaching. Give yourself wholly to spiritual gifts, which were recognized by elders so people see progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere to save yourself and hearers  (1 Tim. 4:12-16). Be a godly example while devoting yourself to preaching, teaching and exercising you spiritual gifts.

Treat Body of Christ Like Family
Exhort an older man like a father, treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers and younger women as sisters with all purity. Give proper recognition to widows in real need. Let families care for parents and grandparents to please God and not burden the church. Needy widows put their hope in God evidenced by prayer instead of seeking pleasure. Those who do not provide for their relatives and immediate family are worse than an unbeliever. A qualified widow must be over 60, faithful to her husband, well known for good deeds like bringing up children, showing hospitality, serving believers and helping those in trouble. Encourage younger widows to marry and have children so they do not become idle, gossip and turn away to follow Satan (1 Tim. 5:1-16). Treat brothers and sisters in Christ respectfully like family while financially supporting qualified widows.

Select and Support Qualified Elders
Financially support elders who preach and teach since workers deserve their wages. Do not accuse an elder unless two or three witnesses came forward. Rebuke sinning elders publicly so others take warning. Keep these instructions without partiality or favoritism. Be slow in appointing elders in order to stay pure. The sins of some men become obvious and others trail behind. Similarly, good deeds become obvious (1 Tim. 5:17-25). Select and support qualified elders financially and spiritually.

Respect Work Authorities With Contentment
Employees should consider their supervisors, especially believers, worthy of respect to not slander God's name. Those who taught false doctrines and did not agree with godly teaching of Jesus Christ were conceited, without understanding and had unhealthy interest in controversies. They were robbed of the truth thinking that godliness was a means to financial gain. Godliness with contentment over food and clothing bring great gain. People wanting to get rich fall into temptation, a trap, foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. The love of money was a root of all kinds of evil causing people to wander from the faith and piercing themselves with many griefs (1 Tim. 6:1-10). Respect work authorities with contentment over food and clothing to remain strong in the faith.

Pursue Righteousness Doing Good Deeds With Generosity
Men of God pursued righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. They fought the good fight of faith taking hold of eternal life while making the good confession in the presence of many witnesses until Christ appeared. Honor God, blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords and immortal who lives in unapproachable light. Command the rich in this present world not to put their hope in the uncertainty of wealth, but in God who richly supplied everything for enjoyment. Command them to be rich in good deeds, generous and willing to share. They laid up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the future and took hold of real life. Paul commanded Timothy to guard what was entrusted to his care, turn away from godless chatter and opposing ideas of false knowledge that caused people to wander from the faith (1 Tim. 6:11-21). Pursue righteousness doing good deeds with generosity to gain eternal reward and life.

Pray for your congregation in the following areas:
1. Spiritual development
2. Godly examples
3. Family relationships
4. Qualified leaders
5. Respectful connections with the world 
6. Doing good deeds with generosity





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Prerequisites of an Effective Congregation (Insights in NT)

3/17/2013

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"The church is: a conspiracy of love for a dying world, a spy mission into enemy occupied territory ruled by the powers of evil; a prophet from God with the greatest news the world has ever heard, the most life changing and most revolutionary institution that has existed on earth" (Peter Kreeft).

What are the prerequisites of an effective congregation? It preaches Christ so people believe in Him when it demonstrates sound doctrine in the gospel, lives out its faith, prays for leaders in society, encourages men to take spiritual leadership, selects qualified leaders and follows God's instructions on church order. 

Preach Sound Doctrine of Christ's Gospel
Paul told Timothy, his son in the faith, to stay in Ephesus and command certain men not to teach false doctrines, myths and endless genealogies that promote controversies rather than God's work of faith. The goal of this command was love from a pure heart, good conscience and sincere faith. The law was good if a man used it properly for lawbreakers, rebels, ungodly, sinful, unholy and irreligious. All were contrary to sound doctrine conforming to the glorious gospel of God entrusted to Paul (1 Tim. 1:1-11). Preach sound doctrine of Christ's gospel in love from a pure heart, good conscience and sincere faith.

Livc Out God's Grace, Faith and Love
Paul was shown mercy after acting in ignorance and unbelief as a blasphemer, persecutor and violent man. God poured out grace, faith and love abundantly through Christ who came into the world to save sinners. The mercy shown Paul as the worst of sinners was an example of His unlimited patience to those who would believe on Him for eternal life. God received glory and honor as the King eternal, immortal and invisible. Paul encouraged Timothy to fight the good fight by holding on to faith and a good conscience instead of rejecting them like Hymenaeus and Alexander (1 Tim. 1:12-20). Live out God's grace, faith and love as an example to unbelievers. 

Pray That All Leaders Know Christ
Make prayer a priority, especially for kings and those in authority so people can live peaceful and quiet lives in godliness. God wanted everyone to be saved and know the truth since Jesus was the one mediator between God and man. Paul was appointed a herald, apostle and teacher of the true faith to Gentiles (1 Tim. 2:1-7). Pray that all leaders in authority get rescued and know God's truth in Christ.

Encourage Men to Take Spiritual Leadership
He wanted every man to pray without anger and women to dress modestly without expensive clothes showing their good deeds. Women should learn, submit and not exercise authority over a man. Adam was formed first and Eve was deceived. She became a sinner. Women would be kept safe through childbirth if they continued in faith, love and holiness  (1 Tim. 2:8-15). Encourage men to take spiritual leadership in prayer and teaching God's word. 

Select Elders Above Reproach
The qualifications of an elder involved being above reproach, one-woman man, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to much wine, gentle, not quarrelsome and not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey with proper respect as a proving ground for taking care of God's church. He must not be a recent convert and also have a good reputation with outsiders so he would not become conceited or fall into disgrace and the devil's trap (1 Tim. 3:1-7). Choose elders with a heart for the task who are above reproach and manage their families well proving they can take care of God's church.

Select Deacons and Wives Worthy of Respect
The qualifications of deacons involved men worthy of respect, sincere, not taking much wine, not pursuing dishonest gain, holding the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience and one-woman man who managed his children and household well. Test them before they serve as deacons. Their wives must be worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything. Those who served well gained an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith (1 Tim. 3:8-13). Choose deacons and wives worthy of respect who manage their households well by testing them before they serve.

Follow God's Instructions on Church Order
Paul wrote instructions how people should conduct themselves in God's household or the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth. The mystery of godliness was great: God appeared in a body, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world and taken up in glory (1 Tim. 3:14-16). Follow God's instructions on church order so Christ is preached and believed on in the world.

Evaluate the effectiveness of your church in preaching Christ so people can believe with the following criteria:
1. Preach sound doctrine of Christ's gospel
2. Lives out its faith
3. Prays for leaders in society
4. Encourages men to take spiritual leadership
5. Selects qualified leaders 
6. Follows God's instructions on church order 


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    Mark Pomeroy

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    My goal is to ignite the hearts of people by explaining God's word in the Law, Prophets, Psalms and New Testament consecutively, much like the experience of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:32,44). I have been a missionary in Lincoln, NE, for 13 years with Christ For the City Int. and Sync with God.
     

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