A Powerful Ministry

Well, thank you, Pastor Milton for that gracious introduction. I appreciate that and, we are so blessed to have a pastor who loves God and who faithfully teaches about the gospel of Jesus Christ and is one who exemplifies that in his own life to us here at Cornerstone, right? Aren't we thankful for Pastor Milton? Well, I invite you if you have your Bibles to turn with me to 1 Thessalonians chapter 51 Thessalonians chapter 5 this morning, we're gonna read this portion of scriptures kinda give us a context of what we're actually gonna be looking at this morning, but 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 verses 12 to 22, we'll just take a look at that portion this morning.

We start off by reading from verse 12 and it says that we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another. We urge you brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the faint-hearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Verse 15 says, see that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people.

Verse 16 says, rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and everything give thanks for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the spirit, do not despise prophetic utterances, but examine everything carefully, hold fast to that which is good, abstain from every form of evil, and as our pastor says, this is the word of God. As Pastor Milton mentioned, God has, has graciously allowed my family's journey from brokenness to, to wholeness to be continued here at Cornerstone after a recommendation from a pastor friend who encouraged me to attend this church.

We first visited Cornerstone in August 2014 as Cornerstone was preparing to celebrate the grand opening, opening of its occupancy in this wonderful building a few weeks later.

During our first visit, as we walked into the lobby, instantly, we were warmly greeted by Chris Kearns, Julie Jones, and Cindy Peterson, who informed us about the various ministries which are available for our entire family. I had an opportunity then to reacquaint myself with Pastor Milton and kinda share some more stories and by the way, he's a great teacher of Hebrew and he helped me get an A in the class. It wasn't me, he helped me get an A in the class and because of that, I took 2 more classes with him, so I thank Pastor Milton for his grace and his mercy there.

My very first seminary teacher.

Well, little did we know that as a family who had been wounded after pastoring a church, we would providentially end up here at Cornerstone. Well, it was easy to say that after our second visit, we decided to make Cornerstone our church home. Well, what made our decision so easy to attend Cornerstone? Well, we couldn't believe the humility, the love, the grace, the care, the mercy and the list goes on and on and on that we received from each one of, of you.

And as I reminisce about our visits here, I, I cannot believe that the CEO and chairman of the board of Bourne's was squeezing and making orange juice at Cornerstone's grand opening celebration. I couldn't believe that. It's amazing. It was truly, truly an amazing experience and you all have greatly impacted our lives by living out the gospel of Jesus Christ.

And I just wanted to let how powerful your personal ministry here is at Cornerstone. You just don't know if I could say that. Thank you so much. anytime a visitor walks through the lobby or during the church's greeting time or care groups or the other ministries, you all have a tremendous impact on that visitor or another wounded believer who may be walking through your doors.

Like our pastor says, you are all on staff, you're all ministers here at Cornerstone. Well, honestly, today, I'm still waiting for the bubble to pop. I'm waiting for you all to say to me and my family that, that we were just, we were just kidding. We were just kidding.

We're not really like the way you described us. When is that bubble gonna pop? Hopefully never, hopefully, it never does pop, right? I, I don't think it, I don't think it will.

But what a joy your powerful ministry must bring to the heart of Pastor Milton. And the other elders who exemplify humility and love. Well, as we come to first Thessalonians, the apostle Paul, like a father truly loved the believers at Thessalonica. They were caring, loving, showing grace to each other.

Sounds familiar, right? Just like you all here at Cornerstone. And this brought joy to the apostle Paul as he received a glaring report of their behavior from his protege Timothy, that they were growing spiritually and they had a powerful ministry serving each other in the church for God's glory. Well, Paul, though the Thessalonians were doing well spiritually, had two fatherly concerns.

Paul's first concern was stagnation. He was hoping that the believers would continue their powerful ministry to each other until the rapture. Paul's second concern was that they would continue to uphold their wonderful testimony of service before unbelievers. The world's always watching us, aren't they?

The world is always watching believers, right? Well, let's look briefly at what Paul wrote in to the Thessalonians believers in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 verse 1. He said this finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you receive from us instruction as how you ought to walk and please God, just as you actually walk that you what, that you excel still more. Look at verses 9 to 10.

Chapter 4. Now as the, the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another, for indeed you do practice it toward all the brethren who are in Macedonia, but we urge you, brethren, to what, to excel still more. So Paul was saying to raise the bar, set a higher standard of your powerful ministry to each other. And the apostle Paul was in this pulpit this morning, he would say the same thing to the believers here at Cornerstone.

Raise the bar, raise the standard, continue to minister to each other, excel still more. So, the question this morning is how can you have a powerful ministry that affects another believer's life like you did. With our family. Well, Paul provides 5 ways to be a powerful minister and a body life of the church, 5 ways to be a powerful minister to the body life of the church, and these are all imperatives.

Well, the first way to be a powerful minister is to first be an admonisher. Look what Paul says in verse 14 of chapter 5. He says, we urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly and we will spend a lot of time in this, in this section, in this portion of, of the, of the verse, but Paul exhorted. And he reminded not only the leaders of the church, but in verse 14, look what he says, he says, we urge you who?

We urge you, brethren. The word urge there means to come alongside from the Greek word Palleto. It is where Periclete comes from, which is another title for the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit as we know is our teacher and is our helper who comes alongside of us during, during trials to encourage us and to uphold us as we go through tough trials.

What Paul urges and says to the believers there, admonish the unruly. Unruly is a military term which speaks about a soldier who was rebellious, insubordinate, and is out of step with the direction that the other soldiers in the platoon are heading. When comparison, an unruly believer is one who is sinning against God. His life is out of step and is, as one commentator says he is, he is pushing the edges of acceptable Christian behavior.

That's what an unruly believer does. This believer has decided like the soldier to march to the beat of a different drum. When the Thessalonian church, an unruly believer was one who was idle. It described a believer who disobeyed God's instruction by refusing to work.

For instance, turn with me very quick, just a couple of pages over to 2 Thessalonians chapter 3. In 2 Thessalonians chapter 3, we're gonna read verses 6 to 12 to give us an understanding of what Paul is speaking about regarding the unruly believers there in Thessalonica. Paul says, now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from every brother who leads an unruly life and not according to the tradition which you received from us, for you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example because we did not act in an undisciplined manner among you.

Nor do we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but with labor and hardship we kept working night and day so that we would not be a burden to any of you.

Not because we do not have the right to this, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you so that you would follow our example. Even when we were with you, we used to give you this order. If anyone is not willing to work, he is not, he, he is not to eat either. But we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies.

Verse 12 says. Such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to work in a quiet fashion and eat with their own hands. We're here, the apostle Paul rebukes sinful believers about idleness and said that idleness could lead a believer to become a busybody, getting involved in other believers business. But Paul used himself as an example of working tirelessly for the Lord.

Today, in our churches, an unruly believer is one who is passive or idle, not serving or using his spiritual gifts for the glory of God. He is like a car that is parked with his engine running. Idling, going nowhere, but just what? But just wasting gas.

So how do you powerfully minister to a believer in a body who is unruly? Well, Paul says in verse 14, we urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly. We admonish that believer, we admonish him. Admonish comes from the Greek verb notate where noetic counseling comes from, which means to instruct or correct a believer who was sinning by using the word of God.

Well, pastor and author of numerous biblical counseling books, Jay Adams says this about admonishing a believer. He says admonish denotes a verbal counseling confrontation. It was changed in beliefs, attitudes and behaviors brought about by practical use of the scriptures in order to honor God and bless the one who is confronted and that's the idea of admonishment, right? We want to bless the believer.

We want to get them back on track. We want to get that believer back into the game. Away from his sin. And again, the idea behind admonishment is for a dis disobedient believer to be shown his sin and hopefully he confesses and repents that sin before God is restored and can become an active member again in the local church.

So admonishment truly reveals that we desire the very best for the believer and want him to walk in the same direction as God desires him to. the word admonish could also mean to warn someone of impending danger. For instance, in Acts chapter 20 verses 29 to 31, Paul warned the Ephesian elders, remember he was, he was leaving them, of the imminent danger of false teachers infiltrating the church after Paul would leave them. John MacArthur says this about admonishment.

He says admonishment does not mean being judgmental or critical in a superior manner, right, it is, it is the caring warning against danger that Paul gave to the Ephesian elders. So, to admonish is one way to be a powerful minister and a body life of the church. Well, maybe a believer who is not out of line. But it's really, really discouraged, really discouraged in his Christian life.

Would you admonish that believer of being discouraged? No, we don't admonish that believer of being discouraged, which leads us to the second way to be a powerful minister in the body life of the church, and that is to be an encourager. Paul says in verse 14, we urge you, brother, admonish you unruly, encourage the faint-hearted. A faint-hearted person describes someone who is small-souled, feeble-minded.

Timid, fearful, someone who worries a lot. Someone who is discouraged because they are getting beat up in life or has been wounded in ministry. This person's spiritual battle was so intense that he is now gun-shy, not having a boldness to get back into the battle or into the ballgame. MacArthur says this, these faint-hearted believers are, are the worried sheep.

They're huddled in the middle and afraid to get near the edge. Well can I testify this morning that before we came the cornerstone, I believe I was one of those believers. And when I came here, the Cornerstone, again, your powerful ministry helped me to kinda get back into the game. Pastor Milton mentioned that God by His grace has allowed me to be the director of Children's Ministries.

Well, a year ago, if they would have offered that position to me, there's no way in the world I would have even entertained that offer from them. You see, I was, I was wounded. I think I was a faint-hearted believer as Paul's talking about here. Well, some of the Thessalonian believers did not handle persecution well and as a result, did not want to evangelize, suffer or even die for our Lord Jesus Christ.

You see, they have been persecuted for their faith so often that they desired a ministry without any risk associated with it. They wanted a ministry that was free from trouble and persecution. I wouldn't that be great? Wouldn't that be incredible to have a ministry without problems?

That would be excellent to have. Well, it's safe to say that there are believers right now in our church who are currently going through some extremely challenging times and have become faint-hearted. And maybe I'm speaking with, to some of you this morning, maybe loss of a job, financial reversal, serious health issues, marital issues, family difficulties that were as Pastor Mike mentioned a couple of weeks ago, divine ordained difficulties, remember that? The DODs of life.

These are all heavy burdens, so overwhelming and as a result, believers have become faint-hearted. Well, again, we definitely would not want to admonish a believer like this. So how do you powerfully minister to a believer who was faint-hearted? Well, Paul tells us there in verse 14, Paul says to encourage the faint-hearted believer, and I was thinking about the word encouragement, we, we all love to be encouraged, don't we?

I think we love to be encouraged. It's amazing how many, many of you heard that I was preaching this point how you came up to me and you encouraged me and said I'm praying for you. I, and I thank Pastor Milton for encouraging me this morning when he said to me, don't blow it, OK? Don't blow it, OK.

OK. Thanks, pastor for your encouragement. But you ever noticed that we never complain about someone who is encouraging us too much, right? Encouraging words are something that we will never get tired of hearing, right?

Coaches encouraging their players, teachers are encouraging their their students, parents encouraging their children, employers encouraging their employees. Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think I've ever heard. of a believer saying to another believer, stop encouraging me. Have you ever heard that?

Or you're encouraging me too much. I don't think I've ever heard that before. We'd love to be encouraged. We truly love it when someone puts their arm around us and encourages us or sends us a, a text which comforts us and this is what encouraged literally means to speak words of comfort, inspiration, to embolden the faint-hearted using the word of God.

In fact, there are several reasons I think, I was thinking about why we come to church. We come to church, the cornerstone to hear the word of God preached faithfully by our, our pastor, which truly encourages us, but I also think we come to church waiting for other believers to do what? To come up to encourage us, right? We're waiting to hear words of encouragement from other believers and also hopefully we give, we reciprocate that we give the encouraging words back to a believer because we don't know what a believer is going through when they walk through the doors on Sunday morning.

What a great practice for us to have. What a powerful ministry encouragement is. To another believer. But Paul says that believers in the church are to come alongside and offer words of encouragement to the small-souled believers, using the scriptures in order to restore them back into the work of the Lord, again, to get them back into the ballgame.

Now one special note here when we talk about, we talk about encouragement, as we talk about encouragement, it should not only be practiced in a body life of the church, but encouragement should be extended to who, to our spouses and also to our children, right? We needed to be encouraging in our families, encourage our sons or daughters if they're going through a tough time, encourage our wives, especially, we know they've had a tough day. When was the last time we encouraged someone in our home?

And I think I'm guilty of that.

I think many times I forget to encourage my, my wife or my children. Now our Lord Jesus Christ is the ultimate example of encouragement, and he loved to encourage the faint-hearted, hearted person, right? For instance, turn with me to Luke chapter 22. Luke chapter 22, our Lord Jesus Christ, he loved to encourage the faint-hearted believer.

Luke chapter 22. In Luke chapter 22, starting with verse 31, the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat. Now, what would your first question be to the Lord if he said that to you? What would you say?

I think I would have said, did you give Satan permission, Lord, right? I think MacArthur said, and you said no, right, Lord? You said no. But look what our Lord Jesus Christ, look what he said to Peter in verse 32.

He says, but I have what? I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail, and you, when, once you have turned against, strengthen your brothers. Jesus encouraged Peter by telling him that he was going to pray for his faith, that his faith would be strengthened during the trial. Then once you come out of this trial, you are to go and strengthen your brothers.

Why? Because they were going through the same trial too. If you look at that word there in verse 31 where it says Satan has demanded permission to shift you, he's really speaking about all the disciples there. But then he spoke to Peter about strength in his faith.

What are some ways that you can be a powerful minister and come alongside a faint-hearted believer to encourage them? Well, a couple of ways, you can use the word of God to encourage and gently teach them that God answers prayer. You can graciously teach them that God will never leave them, even if they're being persecuted for their faith, as Hebrews 13:5 says. You can gently remind the faint-hearted that God is sovereign and that he will accomplish what he's planned for their lives according to Philippians chapter 16.

I like what one commentator said about incurs, he says when a person needs cataract surgery in both eyes, he doesn't want an ophthalmologist to fix both eyes with a crowbar, right? But with gentle and tender hands. Maybe a believer this morning. Who needs encouragement, go to them and encourage them as our Lord Jesus Christ encourages us.

But also maybe a believer who's been caught in a grievous sin and cannot seem to escape the sin's grasp. Well that leads us to the third way to be a powerful minister in a body life of the church, and that is to be a helper, that is to be a helper. The apostle Paul, we urge you, brethren, admonish you unruly, encourage the faint-hearted, help the weak, be a helper. A weak believer is not speaking about one who is physically weak in this context, although we should help those who are physically weak, but a weak believer is one who is susceptible to struggles and struggles to abandon sin and has a hard time following God's will in his life.

This could be a believer who has already been tied up by a particular sin and can't seem to escape the vice grip hold on him. So, how do you powerfully minister to those who are struggling in these areas? Well, Paul tells us, he tells us to help the weak. Help means to take firm grip of him, of this person, to hold him, to cling to this person, offering support, to lift them up.

In other words, don't drop them. Don't abandon them. Stay with them. This believer who has been caught by sin is like a tire stuck in the mud.

It spins its wheels, but it can't seem to get out of the hole. Galatians chapter 6 provides a great reference for us to understand a little more of what Paul is saying here in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5. Turns me to Galatians chapter 6 very, very quickly. I just want to show you this one verse.

Again, it helps us to see what Paul is saying here. In Galatians chapter 6, in Galatians chapter 6, Paul tells us again, what we're supposed to do to a believer who was caught in a sin, he says, brethren, if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore a one in a spirit of gentleness. The word caught there means that he is trapped by his flesh. The flesh is trapped him in his sin, he just can't seem to get out.

And as we are studying in our men's meeting, the, the flesh is this rebel entity that rebels against God's command. That's what we battle with and Paul battled with many times in his Christian life in Romans chapter 7. But a spiritual believer there in that verse speaks of one who is submitting in obedience to the Holy Spirit. So Paul tells us here in Galatians 6:1 that the believer is to come alongside of this crippled believer, and gently restore him through prayer and use of the word of God.

Jay Adams says this restoration means refreshment. It constitutes the work of putting new life into one by convicting and changing, encouraging and strengthening after trial, defeat and or discouragement. Do believers this morning who may be caught in sin? And needs you to powerfully minister to them.

We must always keep in mind that when we gently minister to the weak, to helpless believers, that these are people whom God sent His Son to die for. He sent Jesus Christ to die for their sins. Christ gave us, gave his life for these believers that we are ministering to. As you powerfully minister to the unruly, the faint-hearted, and the weak, there are times when you may, might become impatient with them, right?

Right? It happens. And sometimes we just want them to what, to, to get it right, don't we? Why can't you understand?

Why can't you just get it right? Which leads us to the 4th way to be a powerful Minister in the body of life of the church, and that is to be a long sufferer, to be a long sufferer. Paul says in verse 14, again, we urge you, brethren, admonish you unruly, encourage the faint-hearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone. I like when one commentator said about long-suffering or patience, he said this, it is easy for healthy sheep to become frustrated, angry or discouraged with some of the chronic problem sheep.

It is always disappointing in a discipling relationship when a mature believer has taught, trained, exhorted, strengthened, and encouraged a less than mature believer only to have that person manifest little commitment to Christ or show evidence of spiritual growth. Has that happened in your life as you were discipling someone and it has, hasn't it? Many times, and many times we get frustrated, we want them to, to quickly learn and to, to move on in their Christian life. And I'm sure if I took a survey this morning, we could all say yes, we all get frustrated sometimes with discipleship.

We wanted to move faster, right? It takes so long. You can imagine again how patient our Lord is with us. He is patient, waiting for us to repent of sin.

To go to him to confess it. The believers here in Thessalonica might have, may have been impatient with the other believers in the church who were distracted, maybe undisciplined and always falling behind, it seems like all the other believers. Well, the word long suffering or patience here means not giving in to a short or quick temper towards those who fail us, but lovingly being patient and considerate of them with no strings attached. That's what happens when we minister patiently with others.

There's no strings attached to it. In fact, Ephesians chapter 4 verse 2 says with all humility and gentleness, with patience, shown forbearance to one another in love, again, the word patience there, and we think of 1 Corinthians chapter 13, the love chapter, the very first item that defines love is what? Patience, patience. If we truly love someone, we will be what?

Patient with them. I can't imagine how many times our wives, husbands, right, have been very patient with us, right? Very, very patient with us. When in turn, we need to be patient with them and also with our, our children.

Well, one thing we have to remember when we are diminishing that some believers, they what they grow slower than others, right? Some believers mature slower than the other believers. Think of the disciples, how some of them were growing at a very, very slow pace. And at times, Jesus, I'm sure in a righteous way was frustrated with them.

So we think about patience, it's just like in our own families, right? It takes a lot of patience, right, to raise children. We have 7 children, right? It takes a lot of patience to raise 7 children.

I thank my dear wife for that and for her prayers as we raise our children. But Jesus was very patient with his disciples, very, very patient. Remember in Matthew chapter 18 verses 21 to 22. Remember that passage where Peter came and asked Jesus a question, Remember what he said?

He said, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I what? And I forgive him. And Jesus said, and Peter said up to 7 times, and Jesus said to him, I do not say up to you up to 7 times, but what, up to 70 times 7. Well, it's interesting why Peter asked that question.

Peter asked Jesus this question because the Jewish rabbis, listen to this, taught that forgiving a person 3 times was enough. Imagine? After the 4th, 4th time that's it, you can go right after them I guess. Three times was enough.

So Peter must have thought that he was doing great in his forgiveness checklist, right? That, OK, I must have forgot, forgive him, escape somebody 7 times, but Jesus said, no, it's 70 times 7. Jesus said that Peter should have forgiving patience. I one commentator said, forgiving patience with everyone.

Because forgiveness is what should be unlimited. It should be unlimited. So as we minister to the unruly, the faint hearted, and the weak, we are to extend long suffering to them. And why is that?

Well, because we serve a great God who shows immeasurable patience with us. Immeasurable patience with us every single day, waiting for us to repent of our sins. Now I love what Psalm 86:15 says about God, he says, but you, oh Lord, our God, merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness and truth. Aren't you glad that God is a merciful God this morning?

Aren't you glad that he is, that he's gracious, that he's slow to anger? Abundant and loving kindness and truth. what a comforting verse that is for each of us this morning. But we also think about God's patience, we should think about God and His redemption of us.

In fact, 2 Peter chapter 3 verse 9 says this, the Lord is not slow about His promise as some count slowness, but is patient towards you, not wishing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance. God paid a tremendous price, didn't he, in sending his precious Son to die on the cross for your sins and also for my sins. God patiently waits for the wretched sinner to repent. To come to him as we sang this morning and to trust Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.

In order for them to have eternal life, and we should be thankful to God for his, again, his long suffering and his patience to his children this morning. Well, maybe this is your condition this morning. Maybe God is being patient with you. Maybe he's trying to get your attention through the difficulties of life that you're experiencing today.

Well, I encourage you this morning to trust Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Believing that Christ die on the cross 2000 years ago, was buried and he, and he rose again. If you truly trust in Jesus Christ this morning, you will have eternal life, and you will spend eternity with God forever and ever. Where you powerfully minister in the body of the church to the unruly, the faint-hearted, and the weak.

What happens if they reject you? You may ask that question, what happens if they reject you? What if they oppose you or even sin against you? How do you react?

What do you do? How can you powerfully minister? To someone like that. Which leads us to the 5th way to be a powerful minister in a church, and that is what to be a watcher.

Paul says again in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 14, we urge you, brethren, admonish your unruly, encourage the faint-hearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone. See that no one repays another evil for evil. See that no one repay pays anyone evil for evil. I think sometimes when somebody sins against us, I think our first reaction is what to get them back, isn't it?

And I think we take that verse out of context, we said vengeance is what? It's mine, right? No, the verse, the verse says vengeance is, is God's, is God's. But the verse, Paul says that to see one, no, no one repays another evil with evil.

Many times when you're ministering to other believers, they could reject you or even disagree with you and or anything else that you have to say. And sometimes I don't even say thank you to you for all that you've done for them, right? You wonder, wow, all this I did for them and yet I received no thanks. When the Thessalonian church, some of the disobedient believers were sinning against the faithful believers.

Paul wanted to instruct all the faithful believers how they can powerfully minister to disobedient believers. So Paul's fifth imperative is that he says, see that no one repays another evil for evil. The word see there means that everyone in the church, every person in the church, and a body life in the church is actively watching to ensure revenge is not being taken on another believer in the church. Revenge isn't being taken but that love is prevailing.

Grace and love is prevailing in the body life of the church. the word retaliation should never be a part of the Christian's vocabulary. We may feel like retaliating, but it should never be a part of a Christian's words. In Romans chapter 12 verse 18, Paul says, if possible, so far as it depends on you, be at what, be at peace with all men, not taking vengeance, but being at peace with all men.

You should never take vengeance on another person but be peaceful with them. Why? Like I said before, I mentioned earlier, because vengeance belongs to the Lord. In fact, in Romans chapter 12 verse 19, God says, vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.

So what do we do? How do we minister to those who offend us? How do we minister to those who oppose what Paul tells us there in the last part of verse 15. He says, but we seek after that which is good for one another and for all people.

That is the proper action for us to take if another believer sins against you. The word seeker means to zealously hunt or strongly strive after to pursue the goodness of the person who has sinned against you. Believers, even if they are sinned against, or to eagerly seek that which is good for another for, for that person and for all people. Galatians chapter 6 verses 9 to 10 tells us, it's a great verse, especially if you're ministering and, and you're counseling and you're, you're discipling someone, it says, let us not lose heart in doing good, continue, again, excel still more.

Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time, we will, what, we will reap if we do not grow weary. So then while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people and especially to those who are of the household of faith, speaking about believers in the church. So as we think about the imperatives that Paul gave us this morning, Paul provided 5 ways to be a powerful minister in the body life of the church, 5 ways, be an admonisher. Be an encourager.

Be a helper and be, be a helper, be a long-suffer and be a watcher. As I mentioned again in my, my introduction, our, our family has been, has been truly blessed by your powerful ministry to us. And again, if, if the apostle Paul was here, I think he would say to the, to the believers here at Cornerstone, continue to excel. it seems like every moment that I walk into this church, I'm being encouraged by each and every one of you.

Again, our family's truly been blessed. Continue to minister like you are ministering here at Cornerstone, excel still more. Let's pray. Our Heavenly Father, we, we thank you so much for our time this morning.

And Father, we thank you again for the tremendous price that was paid. At Calvary, Father, for our sins. How you sent your Son Jesus Christ to die on a cross for us wretched sinners, and Father, we are not deserving of this, Father, we deserve to, to pay for our sins, but you by your grace and mercy sent Jesus Christ to die for us this morning. And we pray, Father, this morning as we seek to minister, as we seek to, to become a powerful ministers here in the, in the body like for the church, we pray, Father, you give us wisdom.

Did you give us grace? Did you help us to encourage one another, to help each other, and to make sure, Father, again that we are not seeking vengeance on another person but we're looking out for the ultimate good of that person. So we love you, Father, we thank you again for all that you do for us. You are truly a great God and also Father, as we, we take our morning offering after this, this, this last song, Father, I, I, I, I pray Father that, that you would use this offering to further the gospel of Jesus Christ so many will come to know Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior for us in Jesus' name we pray.

Amen.