Weekly Blog
My Local Church and I part 8E
This week’s sermon My Local Church and I part 8E by Pastor Josh Laryea emphasises the importance of being called to ministry, as a privilege. The moment you become born again, you are called into ministry as seen in the patriarchs, prophets, Jesus, and apostles who saw it as a privilege to serve God, responding to their call to ministry. Serving God is a privileged position and that is how believers respond to Ministry. The tool for ministry is the word of God. It is crucial to know the word, as it is the tool for Ministry.
The Gospel teaches that true believers hear and obey God’s word, demonstrating their devotion to His word. Believers are bondservants for Jesus’ sake, embodying the mentality of a bondservant. This understanding is crucial for effective ministry. It is important that servants submit to their master’s will. The responsibility of bearers of God’s light is to spread this knowledge, as all men are transformed into his image and likeness on earth and will be together with him in eternity.
According to 2 Corinthians 5:18-19, we have the Ministry of Reconciling men to God. The Ministry of Reconciliation is a powerful tool for teaching and living the message of reconciliation, bringing many people to Christ. As a Minister of Reconciliation, we are called forth to shine Christ wherever we are, ensuring that others are also a reflection of Christ’s light.
2 Corinthians 6:3 emphasises the importance of keeping no offence to avoid being blamed. Apostle Paul protected his ministry by ensuring no offence. Patience is essential in enduring offences. As an approved worker of God, you must bear the pain for others and offer your little to make a difference. It’s not about you, but about transforming and changing the world. A minister of God always looks beyond their own interest and strives to be a servant of God, ensuring that everyone is served. Apostle Paul emphasises that as servants, we must not allow offence in Ministry. There is no room for offence. Protect your ministry by avoiding offence, which can affect both you and others. Be intentional in avoiding offences, as it can lead to loss of joy and impact the ministry.
Regardless of your role—be it pastor, bishop, or minister—intentionally addressing offence is essential for the well-being of the local church and the effectiveness of its ministry.
WE ARE PERFECT IN CHRIST – Part II
Colossians 1:28 – “So we tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us. We want to present them to God, perfect[a] in their relationship to Christ.”
The Church of Christ then will be so pure that not even the eye of Omniscience will see a spot or blemish in her; so holy. So glorious that Hart did not go beyond the truth when he said– With my Savior’s garments on, Holy as the Holy One. Then shall we know and taste and feel the happiness of this vast but short sentence, complete in Christ.
Not till then shall we fully comprehend the heights and depths of the salvation of Jesus. Does not your heart leap for joy at the thought of it? Filthy as you are, you shall be clean. Oh, it is a marvelous salvation this! Christ takes a caterpillar and transforms it into a butterfly;
Christ takes a dirty and deformed thing and makes it clean and matchless in His glory, peerless in His beauty. O my soul, stand and admire this blessed truth of maturity in Christ.
It’s a brand new day! Keep enjoying Kharis!
Pastor Josh Laryea
TOPIC: WE GROAN FOR HIS APPEARING
BRAND NEW DAY
Tuesday, 1st October, 2024
Romans 8:23 – “We ourselves . . . groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.”
This groaning is common among God’s people: To a greater or lesser extent we all feel it. It is not the groan of murmuring or complaint: It is a note of desire rather than of distress. Having received a deposit, we desire the rest of our portion; we are sighing that our entire manhood, in its trinity of spirit, soul, and body, may be set free from the last trace of the Fall; we long to discard the rags of corruption, weakness, and dishonor and to be clothed with incorruption, immortality, glory; the spiritual body that the Lord Jesus will bestow upon His people.
We long for the manifestation of our adoption as the children of God. “We . . . groan,” but it is “inwardly.” It is not the hypocrite’s groan, by which he would make men believe a lie. Our sighs are sacred things, too holy and too personal for us to broadcast. We keep our longings for our Lord to ourselves. We are to groan for glorification, but we are to wait patiently for it, knowing that what the Lord appoints is best.
Waiting implies being ready. We are to stand at the door expecting the Beloved to open it and take us away to Himself. This groaning is a test. You can learn a lot about a man by what he groans after. Some men groan after wealth; they worship money; some groan continually under the troubles of life; they are merely impatient. But the man who sighs after God, who is uneasy until he is made like Christ; that is the blessed man.
It’s a brand new day! Keep enjoying Kharis!
Pastor Josh Laryea
THE LORD OUR DELIVERER
Jeremiah 15:21 – “I will deliver you out of the hand of the wicked, and redeem you from the grasp of the ruthless.”
Notice the personal nature of this promise: “I will.” The Lord Jehovah Himself intervenes to deliver and redeem His people. He pledges Himself personally to rescue them. His own arm shall do it, in order that He may have the glory. Not a word is said of any effort of our own that may be needed to assist the Lord. Neither our strength nor our weakness is taken into account, but the lone “I,” like the sun in the heavens, shines out resplendent in complete sufficiency.
Why then do we allow ourselves to be wounded by calculating our forces and consulting with mere men? God has enough power without borrowing from our puny arm. To enjoy peace, our unbelieving thoughts must be stilled, and we must learn that the Lord reigns. There is not even a hint of help from any secondary source. The Lord says nothing of friends and helpers: He undertakes the work alone and feels no need of human arms to aid Him.
All our looking around to companions and relatives are vain; they are broken reeds if we lean upon them-often unwilling when able, and unable when they are willing. Since the promise comes from God alone, it is best for us to wait only on Him; and when we do so, our expectation never fails us. Who are the wicked, that we should fear them? They are to be pitied rather than feared. As for terrible ones, they are only terrors to those who have no God to turn to, for when the Lord is on our side, whom shall we fear?
It’s a brand new day! Keep enjoying Kharis!
Pastor Josh Laryea