Kerwin Baptist Church Daily Broadcast

Welcome to the Kerwin Baptist Podcast. Remembering without ceasing your work of faith and labor of love and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and of our Father, knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God. For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Ghost and in much assurance as ye know it.

For ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake. And ye became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction with joy of the Holy Ghost. Paul breaks this thing down and before he even writes to this church what he wanted to write, just commending them for what they've done, he kind of gives us this blueprint. Now first, I want you to notice in verse five. And before we even pray, I want you to notice in verse five, and before we even pray, I want you to notice in verse five, and before we even pray, I want you to notice in verse five, and before we even pray, I want you to notice this, as Paul kind of goes back, as he's here in jail, he has time just to consider, he reflects upon how that church started in Thessalonica.

He thinks about how it began, how he showed up there with no church and no believers, and then how God began to bless, and then he kind of follows the process of how this church has become what it is, and how God has marvelously blessed it. In verse five, Paul goes all the way back to the beginning, to the roots of it. And I want you to notice this, look at verse five. He says, for our gospel came not unto you. So this is all the way back to the beginning, when they first received the gospel, when Paul first came and ministered there. Notice this, for our gospel came not unto you in word only.

But notice this, also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance. Now notice this, number one, I want you to see this, this will be on the screen if you need it, the gospel must be proclaimed from the word of God. He said the gospel came not unto you in word only. In other words, that's where it begins, is in word.

It needs to be shared. How shall they hear without a preacher? And the gospel, our gospel comes, look at me, from God's word. If it doesn't come from here, then it's really not the gospel. The gospel is the good news. It is literally the teaching of the death, the burial, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The gospel is the fact that Jesus came, he just came, he died, he loved you, he purchased our redemption, so you can put your faith and trust in Christ.

It doesn't matter your race, it doesn't matter your color, it doesn't matter where you're from, what you have or you don't have, or talent or no talent. None of that matters. If you want to be saved, and you want to call upon the name of the Lord, you can. That's the gospel. And Paul said, that came unto you. But notice, he says not in word only. So notice number two, the gospel must be preached with the power of God. He said, first, it is proclaimed from the word of God, and second, he said, it is preached with the power of God. Notice what he says in verse five. For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power.

In other words, Paul says this, I remember how this all began. And by the way, that's how every church begins, and that's how every church will remain, is if we make sure that we stay true to the word of God, and we preach the gospel in power. Now there's a whole lot of people nowadays preaching. But the power of God, the power is not in the person, it's in the word of God. And Paul said, listen, the gospel, it literally, it needs to be proclaimed straight from the word. But as it's proclaimed from the word, it needs to be preached with power. Dear friend, you and I have to have the power of God to make any impact whatsoever. Notice thirdly, he says this in verse five, but also in power, notice this, and in the Holy Ghost.

Isn't this great? Number three, Paul says, not only must the gospel be proclaimed from the word of God, not only must it be preached with the power of God, but notice thirdly, the gospel must be planted through the Holy Spirit of God. You see, the Holy Spirit is that agent that literally delivers the word into hearts, and allows that word to take root, to be planted, and to grow. Now, an individual has the chance and the choice, literally, to receive it, or to reject it, but the Holy Spirit must be involved. He says, if you draw all men unto me, I will draw all men to myself. If you lift me up, Christ says, I will draw all men unto me.

He does the drawing, that's the Holy Spirit's work. And I'm here to tell you, without the Holy Spirit power, we are wasting our time this morning. I wonder, have you prayed this week and asked for the Holy Spirit to have full reign and power in this service today? You see, half the time we show up on a Sunday morning, we've not even asked for the Holy Spirit's power. And then we went, then we walked away and said, well, the preacher just didn't have it today. Oh, really?

Well, thanks for the help. We've got the Holy Spirit. Paul said, listen, the gospel didn't just come into you in word, we brought it to you in power and in the Holy Ghost. That means we go out here in ministries here, be it bus ministry, a wanna ministry, visitation ministry, discipleship ministry, our week-to-week offerings, our Sunday school, our senior states, anything that's done, look at me, it must first be bathed in prayer.

And we desperately need the Holy Spirit's power for it to do any good. Notice, fourthly, he says this, he said, we brought it to you not in word only, but in power and in the Holy Ghost, notice thirdly, in much assurance. Paul says this literally fourth, that the gospel must be presented with confidence in the work of God. Paul said this, I remember all the way back as this church began, and the reason this church was so blessed is because when we brought the gospel to these people, we didn't just bring it by what we said, we brought it in the power of God. We brought it through the Holy Spirit of God. And those of us, the messengers that showed up here, we had full assurance, in other words, those people saw that Paul and the others that helped start that church, they believed what they said.

They knew that they believed what they taught. And dear friend, look at me, this world looks at us sometimes, we seem up and down. We believe this today, we don't believe this tomorrow. And you know what, the world needs to see that we believe what we say.

The world needs to see some assurance in us. We need to know that we know, not just that we know Christ, but we need to believe and be persuaded in what we're sharing with people. So Paul reflects on this, and he kind of just for a minute goes back, he says, this is how this church was started, because the gospel came from the word, because the gospel was preached in power. Because that gospel was planted and took root through the Holy Spirit of God. And not only that, but those people saw that we meant what we said, that we were what we claim to be, that we believed what we taught.

That's the exact same way it's done today. Now, I don't know about you, that's really good stuff. And we all need it. But you say preacher, I have a feeling that's not all I came for. You're exactly right. How many of you say that's enough that we could go home and have heard enough?

You're afraid to raise your hand, aren't you? All my wife's over there. Let's pray as Paul breaks down the church for us, and we learn. Lord, I love you. I pray that you'd help us. And Lord, this church over the years, we have strived hard to preach the gospel straight from your word. We certainly do our best to make sure we preach it with power. That Lord, as it takes root in the hearts of believers, we know fully well and are persuaded that it takes the Holy Ghost to plant that and take root and take seed. And Lord, I pray that individuals can see that we really believe your word here. We have confidence in it.

We know what we believe, and we believe what we know. And Lord, I pray that you would come down and give us the pieces. May we be this kind of church. In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen. Look at verse three. A commentator to the church. Verse three, Paul says this as he's riding this church at Thessalonica. He says this, Remembering without ceasing. Paul here is not in a great situation.

He's not where he wants to be. But instead of being defeated and down and discouraged about it, he takes this time and he reflects back on what God has done. And he decides to go back to the church. He decides to write a letter, commend this church. And as he looks at it and has heard about it and has kept track of it and literally has watched God work miracles, he says this, Remembering without ceasing. In other words, Paul says it's just always on my mind and on my heart what God has done in this place.

And let me just say this as a free commercial. The past three or four weeks of my life has been different and a lot going on, a lot of travel, a lot of back and forth. And I'm away sometimes in a sense even day by day. I can't tell you how much I remember and think of this church and how encouraging it is. You have no idea sometimes when you go through things to know the kind of home church that you have.

To know the kind of people that attend there. And I want you to know thank you for being a blessing to me even when I couldn't be here. Remembering without ceasing is always on my heart. Paul says, Remembering without ceasing.

And this is how he kind of breaks this thing down without us even noticing. And notice what he says, number one. He says, Remembering without ceasing your work of faith.

Number one, I want you to see this. Number one, it takes faith to do the work. It takes faith to do the work. Paul didn't just say, hey, I remember without ceasing your work. He says, I remember without ceasing your work of faith.

You say, Preacher, what do you mean? Well, this word work, and I want to give it to you and I want you to understand exactly what it means. Because in this verse, if you're not careful, you're going to think that work and the next word we come to, which is labor, you're going to think they kind of mean the same thing. This word work in the Greek is the word ergon. It's where we get our Greek word ergos.

And later on, some of our English words, ergonomic and different things. It literally means this. This word ergos. This word ergon, this is what it means when he says a work of faith. This word ergon means to work as an effort or occupation. It literally means this, an act, a deed, the doing, the labor, the work. In other words, it's literally the act of doing something.

It means this, that Paul says, listen, I commend you because you have done the work. You have gotten out there and done it. You didn't just sit and listen. You didn't just sit and learn. You didn't just sit and agree. You actually got out there and did the work.

And because you got out there and did the work, I know what it takes for you to do that. It takes faith. And I commend you for doing a work of faith.

You say, well, that sounds kind of generic, preacher. What do you mean a work of faith? Let me show you a couple of verses, and you'll understand what I'm talking about. Look at Acts chapter 6, verse 7.

It's on the screen. I want you to see it real quick, talking about Stephen here. And the word of God increased, and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly. Notice there where it all started, the word of God. The word of God increased. Notice, and a great company of the priest were obedient to the faith. And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people. Did you see that phrase? Now notice closely. And Stephen, full of faith, what's the next word? Power.

And what's that next word? Did. Stephen, full of faith, did. Do you know there wouldn't be the did if he wasn't full of faith? You see, if a church is gonna do the work, it's gonna take faith. Because if a church is low on faith, then it's gonna be low on work.

Now I know you don't understand fully what I'm saying here yet. Let me give you another verse, and then I'll explain. Look at Acts chapter 11, verse 24. It's talking about Barnabas here. For he was a good man and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith, and much people was added unto the Lord.

People would have never been added unto the Lord. Those people would have never been reached if Barnabas he's talking about here had not been full of faith. You say, preacher, what do you mean?

Look at me. You know why a lot of people don't get involved in the ministry or the work of the church. A lot of times, people will come to a church. They believe what the church teaches. They agree with the church. They love the Bible. They love God.

They love God's word. But many times, they don't actually get involved in the work of it. Why? Because a lot of people will say, well, I have an issue because I'm shy. I have an issue because I don't think I have the ability. I have the issue because, you know what, other people have that talent.

They can do this. I can't. I've always been a little bit backward. I've always been a little bit shy, whatever.

And they'll give me the issue of these reasons. Look at me, and I want you to get this, and it's not a bad thing. It's an encouraging thing. Really, what it is is not a lack of talent. It's not a lack of personality, and it's not a lack of ability. It's a lack of faith. You say, well, what do you mean, preacher? Because if I'm going to do the work, and yet I'm convinced that I don't have the ability to do it, what is it going to take for me to do that work? I'm going to have to do it by faith, which means this. When I believe I don't have the ability or the talent, I don't really know anybody. I don't know people here.

I don't this. Oh, but guess what? If you believe God's told you that you need to get involved, and if you believe God's word teaches that we ought to be reaching people and ministering to people, which it does, it means that even though I'm convinced I don't have the ability and even though I don't have the talent and even though I'm shy and even though whatever, because I know God's told me to, if I by faith will step out and do it, I believe God will give me the ability to do what I need to do.

Do you get it? That means there's not going to be work until I have faith, because if it's just the work, I don't think I can do that. I don't have that ability, but by faith, I'm going to step out and do it.

You say that scares me to death. I know, and that's what God loves when we're scared half to death, but we step out by faith because God knows because he's asked us to do it. He'll give us what we need to do it and his supernatural power that we claim by faith just by the act of stepping out and doing it to do it. All of a sudden, we find out how faith works. All of a sudden, we do it, and even though we might flop and even though we might be horrible at it, God uses it, God blesses it, and God brings fruit. Do you know just this week, we've had people step out by faith that helped in Vacation Bible School this week. People that have been here, agree with here, love here, just have never branched out to do. And you know what? It scares them half to death.

They're intimidated. But you can't do the work without the faith. That's why Paul says, hey, I commend you for your work of faith.

May I challenge you? You know what some of us need to do? It needs to be, you know what, God? I'm tired of showing a lack of faith by not doing because I think I can't. So what we have to do is we just have to step out and do, not because we think we can, but because we believe God can. And that's the step of faith. It's just like in giving, faith giving, we call grace giving. It means, you know what, God?

I don't know how I'm gonna make this meet, but you've told me to give this, you've told me to do this, so I'm gonna step out by faith and do it even though I don't know that I can. Those works do not come till you have that kind of faith. That's what made this church great. It wasn't that they had people that could do so much more than other churches.

It means they had people in their church that had so much more faith, and they stepped out and did the work. Let me show you another verse. Romans chapter one, verse 15.

Look at the screen. I want you to get it real quick. I think I skipped a verse, too. Let's go ahead and go to the Romans one, Ben. Romans 1, 16. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth.

Notice that. Here's the gospel. Starts with the gospel. Starts with the gospel, as we said.

Notice this now. He says to everyone that believeth, to the Jew first and also to the Greek, for therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, the just shall what? Live by faith. That means this, that the just, those who have been justified.

It doesn't mean that we're good. It means that because we're saved, we're forgiven. The just, that means those of us that believe, we literally can't even live without faith. There will be no living.

There will be no work. There will be no accomplishment without faith. It literally, those that are saved, they have to live by faith to do anything. And dear friend, I'm here to tell you, that's what you and I need. As a pastor sometimes, I think, Lord, I would love to do this, and I think we ought to do this as a church, but I don't know how we're going to pay for it. Lord, I know we're too full, but Lord, we go to two services. Nobody's going to come. Lord, we go to two services.

Who's going to get up early? Lord, we go to two services. You know, people are going to get tired of it, and you got to get extra work, nursery workers. And I know that they already, you know, this and that, and don't really feel like doing that. And man, we got, how's our choir members going to be here? And they are not going to feel like doing that.

You know, and that's Daniel Hotry. But sometimes when you realize, you know what, if this is the work God wants us to do, we're going to have to do the work and exercise faith. And then God does it.

I want to challenge you today. A lot of times you look at your life and you'll say, well, such and such is what's keeping me from, it's really a lack of faith. That's why the Bible says without faith, it's impossible to please God, because I won't step out and do until I have the faith. Notice if you would this, and I thought this is good, and let me give you these statements so I can kind of bring it all into close.

Number one is this. Our faith is not established in just what we believe. Our faith is established in what we believe. Our faith is established in who we believe. You see, we don't have faith just because we believe in a bunch of written down words that's a code of ethics or something. We have faith because we believe in a person. Number two, faith is not confidence in our ability, it is confidence in God's ability.

Look at this verse, 1 Corinthians 2, verse 5. That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. That means this, that when I step out of my faith to do the work, it means it's not that I'm confident in my ability and I'm not confident in any other person.

Real faith is when I'm confident in God. That's when we show up and say, Pastor, I don't know how I'm going to do it. God's told me I need to do this and I need to get involved and I need to start helping and such and such. I don't know how to do it and it scares me half to death, but God told me to do it. I have never yet seen a person do that and jumped out and did it that God didn't give them what they needed to do it. I've never seen a person jump out and do it and get back and say, well, God just wasn't there. He didn't help me.

Never seen it happen. It's that step of faith that God responds to. Let me give you this statement number three, is this real faith always produces works. Real faith always leads to works. You see, it takes faith to do the work, but real faith always ends up doing the work.

Look at this verse, James 2, 17. Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead being alone. Isn't it amazing how God's word works?

Doesn't God's word answer all the questions? You say, well, I do have faith preacher. Well, God said real faith has works. The works isn't what make the faith. Works is a result of the faith. It means I believe, I 100% believe God will do it and I'm going to step out by faith and do it. And real faith, the works always show up. My ears are getting tired this morning.

I don't know what happened in the week and a half I was gone here. Okay. Notice this lastly. Stewards will only remain faithful if they are full of faith. Now, look at this verse, 1 Corinthians 4, 1. Let a man so account of us as the ministers of Christ, which is what we are, and stewards of the mysteries of God, which is what we are. Moreover, it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful. Listen, a man will not be faithful unless he's full of faith. So that's what Paul meant when he said, hey, let me tell you, let me tell you, as you break this thing down, you see all these wonderful things that this church is doing.

And by the way, it's easy. Sometimes you see this whole package and they go, wow, wouldn't that be great? Paul breaks it down and says, well, let me tell you how all this happened. They have literally works that are built on faith. It takes faith to do the work. He says, I commend your work of faith. Number two, as he breaks this down, notice the second thing. In verse three, Paul says literally here, and I love it, he says, remembering without ceasing your work of faith and labor of love. So number one, it takes faith to do the work. But notice here, number two, it takes love to do the labor.

Now you see in a preacher, what's the difference? This word labor in the Greek, it's on the screen here, it's the word kopos. It's different from the word work. You see that word work literally meant a deed or the act of doing.

But notice what this word kopos, this word labor means. It means a cut. It means toil. It literally means pain. It means trouble. It means weariness.

Listen, man, I want you to get this. Paul says, listen, I know you've done the work and I know that takes faith. So I commend your work of faith. But I also know this, that as you exercise faith and do the work that you're gonna go through some difficulty. And you're gonna face some trials. And as you minister to people, you're gonna get hurt, you're gonna get mistreated, you're gonna go through pain, you're gonna go through suffering, and many times that work turns to labor.

The act of doing turns into the act of pain. Paul says in order to do that, you need love. So I commend your work of faith. You say, preacher, I don't really fully understand what you mean. Look at this verse. Hebrews chapter six, verse 10.

For God is not unrighteous, now notice, look how the Bible connects. For God is not unrighteous to forget your what? Work and what? Labor of love. There's the work and there's the labor of love.

Two different things. And this is what Paul says, I believe Paul says in Hebrews, he says God is not unrighteous to forget your work. To forget your labor of love. And patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ and the sight of God and our Father. You say, preacher, what do you mean?

Explain this to me. Listen to this, he says God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love which ye have showed toward his name in that ye minister to the saints and do minister. Number one, I labor because I know God is watching. I labor because I know God is watching. God is keeping track.

What did Paul say? God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love. It doesn't go by God without him seeing.

You don't do the work and go through the labor. That doesn't happen without God watching it. Without God keeping track of it. He knows everything you've done. He knows everything you've been through. What did our verse of the day say that God is not just looking at the infirmity. He's touched with the feeling of our infirmity.

That means you and I might go through something that really shouldn't hurt us like it does. But God is not just looking at the infirmity. God is touched by the way we feel. Even if we shouldn't feel that way, the fact is we do. And our high priest is touched by that. He hurts when we hurt, even if we shouldn't hurt. Even if we shouldn't be tougher than that. He still hurts when we hurt.

Why? Notice this. Because he's not unrighteous to forget that. Listen, I labor because I know God's watching. I know God's keeping track. Notice secondly, I labor because I'm doing it for the Lord. What did Paul say? He says, For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which ye have showed toward his name. I labor because I'm doing it for the Lord.

Look at me. This is the key. Paul says, Hey, it takes faith to do that work, but I know it takes love.

I love to endure that labor. Love who? Love where?

What are you talking about? He needs love. It's our love for the Lord. For me to labor and stay faithful, I've got to have a love for my Savior. I cannot labor because I love people because there are going to be times you don't love people. I can't do the work because I love you because there might be some times I don't love you like I should. I don't do what I do because I love you.

I do because I love them because they might do some things that I don't love. So in order for me to endure through the labor of work, it takes a love for the Lord. I've got to do it because I love the Lord. Why do you come to church? You don't come to church because you love Daniel Haughtry.

Because there will be some weeks you don't love Daniel Haughtry. Church because you just love your Sunday school teacher. There might be some Sundays you don't love your Sunday school teacher. There might be some Sundays you don't make it to Sunday school. You know the reason you and I need to come to church and why we show up next week and the week after that and the week after that and the week after that and we're just going to be here, you know why? Not because we love people, not because we love anyone, although we do. We do it because we love the Lord. And we do it towards His name. You see, if you're laboring through things right now in your life and you're tempted to quit, and stop, and you're fluttering through this, it might be that, you know what, you've got to reconnect that love to the Savior.

You're starting to do it for people, and if you do it for people, you're not going to keep doing it. Paul said, I commend you for your work of faith and your labor of love. I labor, number three, so I can represent Christ to others. The Kerwin Baptist Church is located at 4520 Old Hollow Road in Kernersville, North Carolina. You may also contact us by phone at 336-993-5192 or via the web at kerwinbaptistchurch.com. Enjoy our services live and all our media on our website and church app. Thank you for listening to the Kerwin broadcast today. God bless you. God bless America.