What a great service at Bethel Baptist Church in Memphis, IN. I filled the pulpit because they are in the hunt for a Pastor. The people were very warm, loving, receptive, and gracious.
My sermon text was Galatians 6:1-5 and the Holy Spirit was in the House. The truths in these verses are a needed teaching in All churches. Why? Because our churches are failing in restoration. Well, I won’t preach the sermon here but offer some points that may be a help. The following are a few important approaches we must have when dealing with a brother or sister with a spiritual need.
- Attitude
- Critical attitude
- Speaking evil of the one in need – James 4:11
- Judgmental attitude
- Self-righteous attitude
- Better than thou attitude because you’re above such sin – Luke 18:10-14
- Spiritually blind because you have too high of an opinion about yourself – verse 11
- Attitude to cultivate
- Spirit of meekness
- Humility
- Consider thyself lest thou also be tempted
- Remember Peter and divorce yourself from the “I’d never do that” syndrome
- We’re not something but nothing –verse 3
- Spirit of meekness
- Critical attitude
- Actions
- Many Christians want to ignore and abhor the brother or sister with a spiritual need – Again, shame on you
- God’s Word tells us to restore
- Set, adjust, join together
- Fully functional and better than before
- Are you spiritual?
- If you rate sin because you “haven’t committed such sin” and refuse to restore, you are not spiritual
- Doesn’t matter what sin was committed
- If you rate sin because you “haven’t committed such sin” and refuse to restore, you are not spiritual
- Pray for the one in spiritual need
- Just because you pray for the person or try to restore that person doesn’t mean you are condoning the sin; so, get off of that bandwagon – James 5:14-15
- Verbally express love and concern – James 2:14-26
- Don’t allow super spirituality to kill your spirituality
- Admonish and encourage – Psalm 107:17-20
- Rely on God’s Word, not yourself
- Their reaction to your Godly approach is their responsibility, not yours
- Don’t forget the Good Samaritan — we mustn’t shirk our responsibility to restore
- Set, adjust, join together
- Accountability
- Prove your own work and the result is rejoicing – verse 4
- Be a burden bearer for others verse 2
- Our responsibility as a Christian
- Physical
- Material
- Spiritual
- Our responsibility as a Christian
- Bear your own burden – verse 5
- To fulfill the restoration requirements you must assume the responsibility
- We will one day stand before the Great Judge and give an account – Romans 14:12
- We aren’t qualified to don ourselves in a black judges robe – Matthew 7:1-2
- We are qualified to don the white doctor’s coat and administer spiritual first aid – verse 1
- To fulfill the restoration requirements you must assume the responsibility
Do you know of a Christian with a spiritual need?
- Do you have the right attitude?
- Are you performing the right actions?
- Are you aware of your own accountability?
I was told a long time ago, and it holds true today, that Baptists are the worse at kicking their own when they’re down. Let’s strive to change that because our numbers are dwindling and credibility is waning.