The Book of Remembrance - 3/26/2023 Sunday Sermon

The Book of Remembrance

Teach Truth. Love Well. Dallas Seminary’s slogan  

“We’ve heard our profs tell us the truth of the Bible. Now we see our profs living the truth of the Bible. DTS is not just “Teach Truth,” but it is also “Love Well.”

Read Col. 4:7-18

The Book of Remembrance Let’s Pray! 12 people named, 12 eternal destinies V. 7-18

Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before Him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed His name. “They shall be mine,” says the Lord of Hosts, “In the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. Then ONCE MORE you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him.”     -Malachi 3:16-18

For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. -2 Timothy 4:10a

What would the Bible say about you if your earthly life ended today?

You make known to me the path of life; In Your presence there is fulness of joy; at your right hand are PLEASURES forevermore. -Psalm 16:11

God intends us to be part of interlinked Bible-based communities      V. 15-16

As soon as Roman persecution eased they began building actual churches that met the needs of individual congregations with more people than could fit in a house.

As part of our own spiritual growth it is good to mutually share what we are learning with fellow Bible-based Christians in the community. But remember that Paul has already warned them to reject false teaching.

Scholars tell us that you can reproduce nearly the entire New Testament from the sermons of Second through 4th century church leaders. They would read from books like Colossians as Scripture and then preach from them.

The point is you were not meant to live your Christian life apart from gathering with other believers and together grow in Christ and impact your community and the entire world for Jesus!

The Appeal to Archippus, the appeal to all of us V. 17-18

Look at verse 17

Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother. To Philemon, our beloved fellow worker and Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier, and the church in your house. -Philemon 1:1-2

The word for ministry is the word diaconia (G1248), and it simply means serving. In the context it is obvious that the serving in mind is the serving of the Word to the church, as in Acts 6:4, where the apostles created deacons to minister to needs within the church, while they devoted themselves to prayer and the ministry of the word.

To equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.  -Ephesians 4:12

I fulfill my ministry to you by teaching you and equipping you to do the ministry

The next time you catch someone doing something right, for the Lord, say to them, “Thank you for fulfilling your ministry!”