1 Thess 4:9 But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another. One of the most important things we want to keep straight in our ministry as a New Testament Congregation is the doctrine of salvation by the sovereign grace of God. We understand that man is totally depraved and apart from the sovereign grace of God, all men everywhere will remain unsaved. Our heavenly Father chose a people in eternity and gave them to His Son. The Eternal Son of God agreed to be the Savior of all those that the Father gave to him in eternity. God the Holy Spirit purposed with the Father and the Son to quicken those that the Father chose in Christ and that Christ died to save by the means of the preaching of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Eph.1:3-4, Jn.6:37, 10:11, Eph.2:1-5, Tit.3:5, 1Pet.1:23, Rom.1:16. After salvation comes service and that is an entirely different thing. In our Christian service, we are to work together and in doing so, there is a special thing called brotherly love. That is what we want to ponder for a few moments in the message. It is a thing that is given to us with many other blessings when we are saved. Brethren in Christ have a special care one for another that is taught of God. Let us consider three things about caring for the brethren in true brotherly love. The Confidence of knowing God’s leadership in brotherly love. 1. There is no glory for God in the ministries that boast of being the fastest growing whatever. That is a man-centered ministry. Matt.6:1-8. 2. There is no one-upmanship in brotherly love. The goal is to give God all the praise and all the glory. 1Cor.1:21-31. It is inward. Rom.2:29. 3. There is no doubt that God will supply what is needed. Phil.1:6, 1Cor.2:12-13, Rom.12:6-10. The Clarity of knowing what God would have us to do in brotherly love. 1. God inspired the Bible writers to write the exact words they wrote. 2Tim.3:16, 2Pet.1:20-21, 1Pet.1:10-12. 2. God illuminates His word to us. 2Pet.1:19, Eph.3:3-5, 1Cor.2:9-10, Matt.16:18. 3. God does not lie. He says what He means and means what He says. His word is the final authority on every matter. Tit.1:2, Heb.6:17-18, Jn.10:35. The Courage to do what God has called us to do in brotherly love. 1. Courage comes by grace through faith. Eph.2:8-10. A. We hear His word by grace. Matt.13:9-18. B. We believe His word by grace. Matt.21:21. C. We obey His word by grace. Acts 5:29-32. Conclusion: Salvation is indeed by the sovereign grace of God and True Service is also only done by His enabling grace. Christ commanded his disciples to love one another. Jn.13:34-35. Some of us may be hard to love at times but God has loved us with an everlasting love and by His grace, we can love one another too. AMEN.

08-19-12
Speaker: Larry Killion
Topic: Service
Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:9