Let's Get Involved

Rev Gideon Lee

Hebrews 10:19-31

A Call to Persevere

19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus,20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another–and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

26 If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left,27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. 28 Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.” 31 It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

1 Corinthians 3:10-14

10 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds.11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. 14 If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward.

There is a vast difference between professing the relationship with Christ and someone who demonstrate that relationship in faith. 

Titus 1:16

16 They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.

Titus is saying that this group of people know God but their actions betray them. Their action proves otherwise. They know God but their action betray them. In actual fact what they do says otherwise. 

Paul is saying that the evidence of someone saying he is a child of God needs to show participation in the church of God. A survey showed that only 37% attends the main service. 12.3% attends more than once a week meetings. There is a difference between a member and an active member in the church. Today I want to talk about being an active member of TOP. 

We come to Church and be an active participant in the church. How can we be part of a church if we are not involved in the church? How can we be an active member if we are only attending the Sunday service. As your pastor I am saying that Christians can be active members. I'm not talking about your salvation. That is assured. 

Exaltation

Expectation

Warning

Exaltation 

24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.

This is about God coming back soon. We spur one another on. The motivation is that Jesus is coming back soon. It's to spur one another. Our fellow believers. How we can encourage one another in love because Jesus is coming back soon. I don't want a church that has many members, I want active members. 

There must be good works which is the evidence of your salvation. John Pipers says we must stimulate each other in love and good deeds. It is important that we encourage one another in good deeds. John Wesley says there is no Christian that is called a solitary Christian. 

We need to get involved with the church. To be active. There is no such thing as an undercover Christian. I call them a submarine Christian. We emerge only once or twice a year. Christmas and Easter. Then they submerged again. Until the next Christmas. 

Show of hands how many are active in church? We need more involved. To spur one another in love. Even as the day of Christ's return is coming. 

No undercover division for Christians. We are the light of the world. How can we shine if we are hidden?

Expectation

25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another–and all the more as you see the DAY approaching.

Notice the Day here is in capital. His return. We are not to forsake or neglect the assembling of your brethren together. You cannot be a Christian outside of the church. The bible has made it very clear that we are to be part of the local church. Coming to church is a very important thing. Those who choose to isolate themselves is not obedient to the scriptures. There is no such thing as a loner as a Christian. The church is a hospital for sick or hurting people. The church is not a museum of Christians. 

Spurgeon says he don't care much about your religion unless it can be seen. Lamps don't talk but they do shine. 

We are to spur one another in love to do good deeds. We cannot do it in isolation. If you want to know what's happening in the church you have to be in a cell. In a cell you have member care. The first person to visit you in time of difficulty is your cell leader and your cell members. They are the ones that gets involved first. 

Let's be in cell and prayer meetings. I want to praise God for the prayer meetings. There is a group of intercessors that are faithfully coming for the prayer meetings. Prayer meetings are important. But less than 20% of the members come to prayer meetings. This is fundamental. You know but your actions do not back up your believe. 

Encourage your cell leaders. When you come to prayer meetings you encourage your pastor. When you come for prayer meetings you encourage me. When you attend the cell you encourage your cell leaders. When you come on time for service you encourage me. Let's encourage one another in love and good deeds. 

This coming Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday we have a special meeting. We have Juwita Suwito coming for these services. There will also be a vocal workshop on Saturday. And Rev Mike Constantine will be here to preach and also a workshop on family in Saturday. We want to invite others to these services. It's going to be evangelistic. 

How many of you will say you will invite non Christians to these services. Other churches will have their programmes for Good Friday so let them go back to their church. Let's open our mouth and invite our friends. 

Our young adults will change their cell meetings, their cell will be shifted to Tuesday. Because they are most occupied at work on Fridays because they have to clear work on Fridays. So Tuesday is a good day where more can come.

Warning

Your salvation is assured. But as you stand before the judgement seat of God, we will have to give an account of how we live our life for him. Some of us may build with good intentions but God says it will be tested by fire and we will see if it's gold or hay. We may be saved but we may lose our rewards. We will give an account of how we live our life. He will test my motive. Even me. Whether it's done with a sincere heart or in love. I don't want any of you to miss out on this. You may say as long as you get to heaven it's enough. No! I don't want you to get to heaven by the skin of your teeth. If you do that then I've not done my work. 

As Christians there ought to be evidence of our righteous living and salvation. We are saved to be a blessing. I pray you will hearken to what I say. We need to get involved. Don't be a member just by name. 

We need to be excellent examples for the Lord. There was once in trying to get to my destination and I couldn't find the place. There was no GPS or Waze back then. So I asked this makcik at a stall how to get there. She said it's difficult to tell me. She then got on her bike and asked me to follow her. She left her stall and led me. I felt so ashamed and felt like I'd buy everything at her stall. We must be like that. 

We may just say yoo hoo I'm a Christian. We need to show the world how to get to Christ. Let's make a change this year. Let's get involved. One of the most used excuse is that they don't want to get involved because the church members are terrible. I just want to come, pay my tithes and that's it. I don't want to get involved. Sheep are not just wooly and cute. They sometimes bite and kick people. But the bible says the shepherd is willing to lay down their lives for these sheep. We are to follow his example. He came and took on the form of man, lived his life like us amidst temptation and still not sin. 

Come on church, how many of you will say I hear what you say pastor and I'll get involved.