Welcome to the Kerwin Baptist Church broadcast today. Our desire is for the Word of God to be spread throughout the world.
So that all may know Christ. Join us now for a portion of one of our services here at Kerwin Baptist Church, located in Kernersville, North Carolina. This week, our subject, as we did a kind of a two-week series, was Therefore. And our title this week is Therefore. B Ye.
Last week we talked out of the entire chapter of chapter 15 of 1 Corinthians, and today we'll be dealing with one verse. Verse 58. Let's read it again as our theme for 2023. is always abounding. In the work of the Lord.
Verse 58, let's read it: Therefore, my beloved brethren, Be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, for as much. as ye know. that your labor is not in vain. In the Lord. Let's pray.
Lord, we love you. Thank you for every person here, every visitor here. Pray that they'll feel welcomed and loved. And Lord, thank you for. all that you've done.
Bless your word today. And Lord, as 2023 has come upon us, Our desire is not just to have a theme, but to live the theme. Help our people to get a vision to be always abounding. and the work of the Lord. It's something that you wouldn't have told us to do.
if you were not willing to give us the power to do it.
So, Lord, we love you. I pray you'd help. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. The word therefore in verse 58, we talked about this last week.
Points back to everything we just read. Therefore, because of what God's done, because of what God has done for you, because of the work That he has wrought in your life. Therefore, there's something that we're asking from you. Therefore, because you were declared the gospel, because you were developed by grace, because you have been delivered from the grave, because you are destined for glory, Because of that, therefore... My beloved brethren, B Yee.
There's our Commands. He is telling us that what God has done should be a motivator. for what we can do. Being saved means we are to now have the privilege to not serve sin. but to serve Christ.
How many of you understand that when you get saved? And salvation is by grace through faith. You don't get saved because you were sprinkled. You don't get saved because you were baptized. You don't get saved because you joined a church or attend a church.
You don't get saved because you came to an altar. You only get saved through Jesus Christ. It is a personal relationship. It means that you recognized and admitted that you were a sinner, that you could not save yourself, and you believe that Jesus did come, that He did die on the cross for you, that He shed His blood for your sins. And then, thirdly, it's you calling for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
It is, Lord, I'm asking you to save me. I can't save myself. I believe you died for me, and I'm putting my faith and trust in you. And how many of you know that when you got saved, the Bible says we were freed. from our bondage to sin.
But it doesn't mean we no longer sin. It means we've got a choice now. You see, a person that's never been saved and doesn't know the truth. They have really no choice. They don't know any better, but we've been saved, we do.
And because Jesus not only forgave us of our sin, but he has freed us from the bondage of sin, we now have freedom from sin, not freedom to sin, but freedom from sin. Are you with me? Say amen. But we didn't get that freedom just to do nothing. You see, we used to serve sin, but now...
Because of what he's done, the freedom he's given, we can serve Christ. We used to serve sin out of bondage, but now we can serve Jesus out of love. Yeah. Because of what he's done. Therefore My beloved brethren, B Yee.
And here's our message. May I say this? What is he saying in verse 58? What you believe affects what you do. If you're convinced of verses 1 through 57, If you're convinced of what Jesus has done for you, if you really believe what he's done, your belief will affect.
your action. Let me say it again. Belief. always affects Behavior. Belief always affects behavior.
When you got into church this morning, many of you that are in front of me, what did you do? You sat on that chair. Why did you sit on that chair? You're like, well, it's a chair.
Well, why did you sit on it without even thinking about it? Because you believed it would hold you.
So your belief that that chair would hold you up affected your behavior, you just sat down. If you did not believe, if you're a guy my size and you go to somebody's house and they're out there having a cookout in the backyard like they do around the summer and you see those flimsy plastic lawn chairs. I don't necessarily believe. It affects my behavior. You know the ones you sit down and they're all waiting on you to do it and it cracks and falls.
You sat down in these chairs without even thinking about it. Why? Because your belief affected your behavior. What you believe about Jesus will affect how you serve him. Good.
Therefore be ye.
So let's look at this verse. What did he tell us to do? Number one, I want you to see we need to be secure. Be secure in what?
Well Even though he's done everything for us in verses 1 through verse 57 that we went through last week. Notice what Paul says here. Therefore My what? Beloved Brethren. You and I need to be secure in the fact that Jesus loves us.
You need to be confident that God loves you. If you are not, you're going to doubt everything in your life. I counsel with people all the time because things that have happened in their life have made them now feel that God doesn't love them, that God doesn't care about them. Why would God allow this if he loved me? And, dear friend, may I say something?
Paul says first, listen, you've got to remember you're loved. Not only is Paul saying that he loves them, he's reminding them that God loved them. And can I make this very clear today? You better get it straight. You better get it settled.
You better get real stable today. If you're going to face life and if you're going to look at circumstances and you're going to look at things and you're going to use that always to determine whether or not you think God loves you, you are in for a horrible ride. But you need to get a hold of a fact today that you need to know and that you know that you know beyond the shadow of a doubt that God loves you You get a hold of that, you're going to quit doubting it every time something bad happens in your life. God loves you. Miss Deborah, we prayed for her today.
Our bodies get sick. Our bodies get cancer. Our bodies have disease, our bodies have things. You know why? Because of sin.
You're like, well, you mean like Miss Deborah came up, she must be a horrible sinner? No, I'm talking about sin that happened a long time ago by a guy named Adam. You see, God created Adam. And God gave Adam a perfect environment. There was no sickness.
There was no disease. But the moment that Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden, he and Eve, the Bible says, as by one man, death came upon all men. You know why we get diseased? You know why we get sick? You know why we get older?
You know why we age? You know why we have these things? It's not because Jesus didn't make us that way. God didn't create us that way. That was man's sin that caused that.
And all these years later, we get mad at God when somebody gets cancer. God didn't create that. Man created that. Quit blaming God. For what man did?
Yeah. We are all sinners because The first Adam sinned. But we weren't left in that condition. We now have hope and have salvation because the second Adam, Jesus Christ, came and died for us.
So quit blaming God for what happens to us. Let's start thanking him that he came and died for us so that we can have salvation. You and I got to get a hold of something. He came, he died, he suffered, he was buried, and he rose again. He proved.
That he loves. us You might be here today in Deep down you doubt. whether God really loves you. You need to be secure. in that fact.
You're loved. If you don't get past this, you won't get past anything. You need to know. That you're loved. Notice number two.
I love this. He says, not just be secure. He says, therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye secure. Instead. fast.
So the rest of these commands are be Yeah.
Something. Be secure that God loves you. But because God loves you, be ye, it's your decision now, it's your action now. Be ye, notice first, steadfast. What does that mean?
Number two, be stable. Be stable. Because of all that God's done for you, because he's proven himself to you, because he's developed you by grace, because he's delivered you from the grave, because he's destined you for glory, because he does love you, because you and I are now accepted in the beloved, the Bible says. Be stable. Don't be the kind of person that's always wishy-washy and moving around and changing all the time.
And I believe this one day and believe this another day. Listen, God has proven himself. Be stable. If there's anything we need in 2023, be stable. Be steadfast.
This word Steadfast. It is interesting. You know, this little phrase be ye is in the imperative mode. In language study in in Greek here, it's in imperative. What does it mean?
It's a command. B ye steadfast. This word steadfast means to be seated. to be settled to be firmly situated. See, preacher.
What does that mean? It reminds us that we are to be rooted and grounded in what we believe. We are to be rooted and grounded in the truth. We are not still searching for the truth. We have the truth.
Are you with me so far? We don't have to search for anything, we have God's Word.
So no longer are you on a search in your life to find the truth. Everybody's searching for the truth nowadays. You ever notice that?
Well, I found it. This is the truth.
So you and I can be steadfast. We can be stable. We can be firmly seated on what we believe because it's the Word of God. We're not waiting for something new. We're already grounded in what is true.
See the little poem there I put together wasn't that nice It's an iambic pentameter. Very impressive to hear that phrase. You say, what is that? I have no idea. I just wanted to say it.
You and I are to be seated. firmly in our beliefs. Be steadfast. Now here's what's interesting. God says, because of all I've done.
I need you to be stable. When you and I are not stable in our life, we're basically telling God. I'm not sure if I believe you. When we're not stable, we're saying, God, I just don't know that you're enough. When we're not stable, we're saying, God, I just don't know if you really can meet my needs.
When we're not stable in what we believe, we're saying, God, I just don't know that I believe that you are who you say you are. Be steadfast. Be secure. Be he steadfast. Notice thirdly.
Be stubborn. Yep, the preacher said. Be stubborn. Yep, I did say that. I did preach that, some of you are like, finally.
Now it's justified. He says, Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast. Unmovable. What does this mean? Look at me.
Please get this. Steadfast means I'm convinced. Unmovable means I'm convicted. I'm convicted. It's a conviction.
Steadfast means I know what I believe. Unmovable means You're not ever going to change me. That's how strong I believe it. How many of you know there's certain things in our life that aren't worth arguing for? We have our belief, they have their belief, but you know what?
It's not something that we have to literally argue for. How many of you know that there are some things in your life worth fighting for? But how many of you know that there are a few things in life that are worth dying for. Yeah, that's unmovable. That's unmovable.
Had a guy one day, he was eating breakfast. Any word of some eggs and bacon? And he looked at the guy across from him and he said, um He said, I'm enjoying these eggs. He says, that chicken really made a sacrifice. He said, no, he didn't.
That pig did. Eggs were just a deposit, bacon was life or death. How many of you know there are some things worth dying for? God didn't say be stubborn with God, He said be stubborn for God. Get firm in what you believe, and don't let this world, this culture, these idiots, half of them that are on TV.
And I'm on TV.
So don't think I'm against TV preachers. I am one. Not to that scale. But I had people all the time, hey, we watch you on TV, had a pastor. I'm from Virginia today.
Thanks, but hey, I'm watching you on TV this morning.
So let me tell you I am saying You make sure that you're not moved, the Bible says it this way, tossed about by every wind of doctrine. Don't be moved every time you hear something new, something that sounds great, something like all of some new revelation, some new truth. We're not after what's new. We're after what's true. Right, Kerwin, amen.
So he said, listen. Be steadfast. Be unmovable. Be stable. Be stubborn.
There are many times when stubbornness is not appropriate. But in the Lord's work A good dose. of bullheadedness sometimes is in perfect order. May I say something if you're not firm in what you believe? If you get a hold of God's truth and you're not willing to die for it, you're probably going to change.
Before long you probably won't even believe it.
So that's why he says, listen, because God's done all this, he's proven himself. He's done this. You need to be. Secure in the fact that you're loved. and you need to be stable.
And even at times, You need to be stubborn. We need some Christians that are a little bit stubborn in 2023. Quit believing everything you read and everything you hear. Let's get in God's work. Can I have an amen to that?
Notice number four. He says, be striving. Be stable. Be stubborn. Be striving.
Always abounding. What's interesting, he is saying, now that I'm convinced, now that I'm convicted, now that it's a conviction of my life.
Now that I am certain of what I believe, now I can grow.
Now I can go.
Now I can go.
Can move forward. It means this: that until you are certain of what you believe, until you are convinced, until you are convicted, you'll never grow. for the Lord. That's why a lot of people get saved and sit. They don't get saved and grow.
Because they've never really gotten firm on what they believe. And they've never gone any further. He says, because of what God's done. Listen, be stable, be stubborn, but be striving, always abounding.
Now, I don't know about you, I've told you the contradiction in this verse. Say, oh, preacher said there's contradictions in the Bible. No, I didn't. Let me explain. Here he says twice, listen, be stable and be stubborn.
steadfast, unmovable. which means don't change. And then he says always abounding, which means change all the time. Grow all the time.
So one moment he says don't move the next moment he says always be moving This he says, listen, you be unmovable. Then he says, You always need to be growing. Here's the difference. It's in the work of the Lord. We don't always need to be changing on what we believe.
We need to always be growing based on what we believe. Everybody got it? Notice two things he says here. Number one, he says, strive. faithfully.
Always. Abounding. Why would God tell us to always Be going forward, to always be. rowing. dematuring.
Always taking the next step. Remember, the Bible says the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord. Why would God says to all always do that. I mean, preacher, that's a little bit hard to ask. What do you mean always?
I mean, goodness, you know, we have tough days and we have tough seasons of life and all that. Listen, God wouldn't ask us to always do this if it wasn't possible. It means no matter what the circumstances are in your life, you can still grow in the Lord. You can still abound. in the work of the Lord.
That means whatever circumstances there are, there's work to be done for the Lord. Whatever comes your way, somehow God wants to use you in that. Since I've talked about her all morning, Miss Deborah. Hedrig, listen, this stuff has come, but somehow, what is God saying? Abounding.
How do you tell a woman that's been through bone marrow transplant and cancer coming back and forth constantly these years? How do you tell a woman like that, listen, always be abounding?
Some days you're just trying to breathe. How do you tell somebody like that? God said, always be abounding. Because even in the middle of that, God wants to use her. to be a testimony to others.
It means no matter what. God says, I want you to always be Abounding. Strive faithfully, always. Notice secondly, strive fruitfully. Always Be abounding.
You know what's interesting about this word abounding? It literally is a fruit term. It means to grow like fruit grows. It means to abound like a tree that does well. You'll say, boy, look at that tree is abounding with apples.
That tree is abounding with oranges. What does it mean? It means that the fruit is obvious. It's always. abounding.
growing it's always bearing fruit. God wants us to be fruitful Christians. You agree with that? Say, preacher, that's a lot to ask. Normally, it would be a lot to ask, but it's not a lot to ask because of verses 1 through 57.
He has the right to ask. For verse 58. based on all he did for us. in verses one through fifty seven. He gave us 57 verses.
He's only asked us for one. Be stable. Be stubborn. But always be striving. Always go further.
For God. This word abounding has the idea of exceeding a fixed amount. overflowing. Exceeding. This is what we're asking for you this year, Kirwan Baptist Church.
Let's go past the fixed amount. Probably coming up here in March and April, we're having mission emphasis We've got missionary families coming in. What we do here is faith, promise, missions giving. It means that you commit how much you're going to give per month, per week, or for the year, and we base our missions budget off that above your tithes and offerings. And you know what, our church has been so strong since I first taught on that, introduced that to the church.
You've been great. But you know what? We got new people. We got extra people. We've grown, and I believe it's time for us to exceed what we're doing.
It's time to take on some more missionaries. Hey, I met a missionary this week from Belgium. From Belgium. The only thing good there is choco. It is one of the most evil Immoral.
deprived countries in the world. He is one of three known Baptist churches in the entire country. And the other two do infant baptism. Which means they're not really Baptist. He's kind of the Pat Weimer to Belgium.
Pat Weimer is one of the only missionaries in Iceland. This guy has been there six years. Everywhere he went, pastors in this area that are strong on missions, he went to them and said, I believe God's called me to Belgium. They all, without question, said, Don't go to Belgium. They said Belgium is a missionary killing country.
So he got no support. From them, he had raised some financial support. He just decided to go to Belgium. Took his wife. He's got, I think, three or four small kids.
She's. Getting ready to have another one? He's been there six years. They're averaging over a hundred people in their church. They've all been saved through that ministry.
This year. They completed by December, they had passed out a million tracks in that country. A million. A hundred people. Kerwin, that ought to make us feel like idiots.
Thank you to the three of you that said amen to that. A hundred people could pass out a million. What should we be doing? We're comfortable. It's hard to get us to show up for a revival meeting.
And I'm going to tell you something, he's going to come sometime in these next two months. We're going to take him on for support. I've already decided. You know why? Because I believe I want my goal, vision, I might never see it in my life.
I want Kirwan to have a part in every country in the world. I'd love to see us support a missionary to every country. That's a lofty goal, but I believe we could do it eventually. It's time for us to always be abounding. You say, preacher, that's a lot to ask.
It's not. You know why? Because God is always faithful. He always loves you. He always does His will.
He always is there for you. Why can't we always be growing for him? Be striving. Notice. Number five.
Be serving. He said, always abounding, always striving, where? in the work of the Lord. You strive by serving. Do you know what the work of the Lord is?
Being a servant. Serving. We serve people. We serve the Lord. Serve.
He said, always be abounding, striving. in the work. of the Lord. Isn't it interesting that he used that word, work? It's not going to be easy.
And it's not just lambaged doing nothing. But he's asked us to go forward and do more in the work of the Lord. It's the Lord's work. The greatest news that anyone can receive is the news of the free gift of salvation found in Jesus Christ. It is our desire for you to know him personally.
Would you take a moment to hear this today? Every man is born with a sin nature. Romans three twenty three says For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. No matter how hard we try, we're not good enough to obtain God's glory. or to get to heaven.
Because of that, sin carries the penalty of death. Romans 6.23 says, for the wages of sin is death. But the gift of God is eternal life. through Jesus Christ our Lord. The wages of our sin, or the payment of our sin, only equals death and separation from God.
But it's only through God's gift salvation through Jesus Christ that we can accept him as our Saviour. Jesus Christ paid for your sin debt. The Bible says in Romans 5:8, But God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. All you have to do is receive Christ. by faith as your Saviour.
Romans ten nine says That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. Verse 13 continues, For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. It's as simple as admitting that you're a sinner believing that Jesus is the only way. and calling upon his name. Bible says whosoever that's any one can call upon the name of the Lord to be saved.
Have you accepted Christ as your personal Savior? There is no greater day than today to take care of this. Would you accept Christ as your Savior? If you have any questions, please give us a call at 336-993-5192 or visit our website at Kerwin Baptist Church. Dot com.
or visits that person at one of our three service times. We hope you have a great rest of your day. God bless you. Mm-hmm.
