Church Work.

16 January 2000

I. Church work is work in service to God Himself.

A. Christians are in special communion with God.

[Acts 17:29 vs. 1Cor 6:17, 19]

B. The Church only exists in God the Father and the

Lord Jesus Christ.

II. Church work requires faith, love, and patient hope in

the Lord Jesus Christ.

A. Work of faith: not done with the world's meth-

odology. [Matt 5:17]

B. Labor of love: not done with the world's

motivators. [1Cor 15:58]

C. Patience of hope in our Lord: not done in worldly

hope. [Luke 8:15]

III. Church work takes place in the face of adversity.

A. Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy served God in preach-

ing the gospel in Thessalonica. [Acts 17:4]

B. They met adversity. [Acts 17:5ff]

C. Adversity requires that church work be done in

faith, in love, and with patience of hope in our

Lord Jesus Christ.

IV. Why is there adversity in doing the work of the

church?

A. We claim a King that is above all earthly rulers

and human law. [Acts 17:7; Ps 2]

B. We are attacking the kingdom of Satan and the

powers of evil in the universe. [Acts 26:18; Rev

2:2]

C. Church work is holy work: sin pollutes it and must

be dealt with.

D. Let us acquire the Thessalonians' reputation among

the churches of Christ.

Pastor Christian Adjemian, Ph.D., Dipl. Div. -|-

c.adjemian@att.net -|- 617-864-3185

1st Reformed Presbyterian Church, Cambridge, Massachusetts