Sister Karen Wednesday Evening 4/8/15

Sister Karen Wednesday Evening 4/8/15

Rom 14:19  Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.

God has been working with my heart to have a heart to edify one another.

Rom 15:1  We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to

please ourselves.

Rom 15:2  Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.

Rom 15:3  For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.

Rom 15:4  For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

Edify – The act of building, architecture, planning to build, building up; the act of one who promotes another’s growth in Christian wisdom, piety – reverence, happiness, and holiness.

This is our heart-cry, to edify, build up, to say words that will build up, to build up in wisdom, reverence, happiness, and holiness.

1Co 8:1  Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.

1Co 8:2  And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know.

1Co 8:3  But if any man love God, the same is known of him.

We can let knowledge puff us up, but charity edifies.  The Jews that had been converted didn’t think that you should touch anything offered to idols.  Because of their knowledge they knew about it.  The converts delivered from paganism didn’t think anything of it, they were delivered from it.

Paul wrote that it was more important to love and edify one another than it was what meat you ate.  Paul was saying, “Your knowledge can puff you up.  But remember it is charity that edifies and can help those that are weaker than you are.”

It is charity that will look past another’s weakness and area that needs growth and encourage wisdom, reverence, holiness, and happiness; those things that need growth.

1Co 10:23  All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.

We need to consider how our testimony will affect someone else, their feelings, and not be a stumbling block to anyone.  People have an eagle eye when it comes to our experience.  We must consider their feelings.  We never know who will be looking on with a hunger instead of a critical eye.  They want to see something better than what they know and what they have found.

People bring you all kinds of problems and we must be careful how we handle it because of our desire to reach out to souls.  Instead of always, “This is wrong and that right.  Here is the straight line.”  We must consider their souls. 

God has helped me in my life to not just take the first story presented to me.  Even though one may be my friend and a good worker, I must consider that there is another side of the story.

Paul was concerned that he would have a heart to edify others, to build them up and not tear them down.  He had a lot of knowledge, knew the law.  Yet he was careful to not offend. 

He said, “Unto the Jews I became as a Jew that I might gain the Jews.  To them under the law as under the law. To them without the law as without the law. To the weak I became weak that I might gain them.  I am made all things to all men that by any means I might save some.”

What a good example to us!

1Co 14:12  Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.

This church was interested in the gifts and wanted them.  He didn’t get after them for that but wanted them to use the gifts to edify the church, build them up, and use them to encourage them in wisdom, reverence, happiness, and holiness.

1Co 14:26  How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.

This be our goal, desire, what promotes us to testify, pray, or sing.  This be our motivation, “Let all things be done unto edifying.”

Eph 4:11  And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

Eph 4:12  For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

That was all the purpose of these offices: the perfecting of the saints, the completion of their experience, the work of the ministry, and building up of the Body of Christ, in happiness, holiness, and reverence.

Eph 4:29  Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

Corrupt – obscene.

This grace here means the divine influence upon the heart and its reflection out into the life.  That we might minister grace to the hearers. That we might have the inspiration of the divine and reflect it out through our lives. 

We need to watch our communication.  We can quote the news and it not be lovely or of good report… Sometimes it is not edifying and not good to repeat or talk about.  We desire what we talk about to be good to the use of edifying and minister grace to the hearers.

1Th 5:1  But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.

1Th 5:2  For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

1Th 5:3  For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

Once labor starts, a woman has to go through it.  There is no getting around it unless they die. 

1Th 5:4  But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.

1Th 5:5  Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

1Th 5:6  Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.

1Th 5:7  For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.

1Th 5:8  But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.

Not being drunken means having our mind think right and not overtaken by that which would overtake our senses, our mind being sharp.

1Th 5:9  For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

1Th 5:10  Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.

1Th 5:11  Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.

Build one another up; encourage one another. 

Heb 10:24  And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:

Heb 10:25  Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Provoke means to stir up.  Encourage one another to love one another.  Promote that.  We desire to edify one another, promote their growth in wisdom, reverence, happiness, and holiness.