Our Community: The Commitments We Make To Each Other – Part 1

I. Call to Worship:  Psalm 84:10-12
II. Offering passage:  1 Corinthians 16:1,2
III. Scripture references:

• Acts 6:3-4 – “Therefore, brethren, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task. “But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.
  
• 1 Timothy 5:17 (NIV)  - “The  elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honour, especially those whose work     is preaching and teaching.”
  
• 1 Timothy 4:6 - “In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following.
  
• 2 Timothy 4:1-2 - “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.”
  
• Ephesians 4:11-12: “ And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry . . .”
  
• Acts 20:28-31 - “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears.”
  
• 2 Timothy 2:2 - “and what you     have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”
  

IV. Quotes:

• John MacArthur  - “A shepherd’s oversight of the flock expresses itself broadly in two ways. First, the shepherds provide truthful, positive direction and leadership to the flock. Second, they watch for spiritual dangers such as sin, false teaching, and false teachers, including Satan’s assaults against the church.”
  
• John Piper  - “Pastoral care is the loving concern of Christ for his flock which he shows them by     providing under-shepherds whose duty it is to equip the saints to minister care to each other.”
  

V. Cross-references:

• I Peter 5:1-3