Growing the Church

By

Shelby G. Floyd

If the church is to increase and grow, we must all get involved in the law of the seedtime and harvest. Solomon taught that to expect a har­vest we must get up early in the morning and sow the seed and not wait till the evening of life: Sow your seed in the morning and at evening let not your hands be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well (Ecclesiastes 11:6).

In some parables that Jesus taught, God is pic­tured as the owner of a huge farm with an abundant har­vest. But the harvest may be lost be­cause of few workers. Jesus said, “The harvest is truly plenteous, but the laborers are few (Matthew 9:37).

God can do whatever pleases him (Psalms 115:3), but it does not please him to circumvent his own plan to save man. Paul outlined God’s plan in his letter to the Ro­mans:

For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.” How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “LORD, who has believed our report?” So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Rom. 10:13-17, NKJV).

From this scripture we learn several facts about our task of proclaiming the gospel message:

1. God saves those who call on the Lord.
2. Men cannot call on someone they do not believe in.
3. They cannot believe in one of whom they have not heard.
4. They cannot hear unless someone preaches the word to them.

Someone must send and someone must go to sow the seed:

The lack of growth is and always has been a lack of workers. Unless we all get involved in making disciples, no one will go. Like the apostle Paul said, “the love of God compels me,” to carry our own load and go forth to do good works.

Copyright © 2024 Shelby G. Floyd, All Rights Reserved

Shelby G. Floyd, Minister, Heartland Church of Christ, 1693 West Main Street, Greenwood, Indiana 46142

 

 

 

 

CRITIC, TALKER, OR DOER

Are You a Critic, Talker, or Doer?

Critic— “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.” —Matthew 7:1
Talker— “For the dream comes through much effort, and the voice of a fool through many words.” —Eccl. 5:3
Doer— “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” —James 1:22

Copyright © 2024 Shelby G. Floyd, All Rights Reserved

Shelby G. Floyd, Minister, Heartland Church of Christ, 1693 West Main Street, Greenwood, Indiana 46142

 

 

GOD HAS A PLAN FOR YOU

By

Shelby G. Floyd

God’s people of Israel were captives in Babylon because of rebellion against God. They were destined to be there for 70 years. Then they would come back to their homeland of Jerusalem. Biblical history bears this out! Then God would have a plan for them to follow. If they followed his plan they would prosper and be blessed!

Notice what the   prophet Jeremiah said to them: 

This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.” (Jeremiah 29:10-14 NIV).

These thoughts will help us follow God’s plan for our life!

• Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your                    heart. (Psalms 37:4).
• The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps. (Proverbs 16:9).
• For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11).
• Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. (Psalms 3:5-6).

Let God’s plan for your life be your plan also!

Shelby G. Floyd, Minister, Heartland Church of Christ, 1693 West Mail Street, Greenwood, Indiana 46142.

THE BEGINNING OF HUMAN LIFE

By

Shelby G. Floyd

After the angel announced to Mary that she would conceive a child of the Holy Spirit, she went to visit her cousin Elizabeth who was six months with child (Luke 1:36).  When Mary arrived and greeted Elizabeth, twice it is said that “the baby leaped in her womb” (Luke 1:41, 44).

“Baby” Defined 

The word “Baby” translates the Greek word “brephos” and is defined in two ways:

(1) First, it is used only in the two references cited as, “an unborn child, embryo, fetus: Lk. 1:41, 44.”—Thayer, p. 105.

(2) Secondly, it refers to “a new-born child, an infant, a babe: Lk. 2:12, 16; 18:15; Acts 7:19; 1 Pet. 2:2.”—Thayer, p. 105.

WORSHIP WITHOUT COST

By

Shelby G. Floyd

King David once said, “No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing” (2 Sam. 24:24). He then bought the threshing floor of Araunah at a price and made his offering unto the Lord:

“So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen and paid fifty shekels of silver for them. David built an altar to the LORD there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings” (2 Sam. 24:24-25).

It is thought that this became the very place where the Temple of God was built. Therefore this place of worship became a place where the people praised God and offered up prayers.

David is a good example of offering up to God our very best, whatever it, may be. One time David asked for a drink of water from the well in Bethlehem. When his three mighty men risked their lives and brought it to him, he would not drink it, but poured it out to the Lord:

David longed for water and said, “Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!” So the three mighty men broke through the Philistine lines, drew water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem and carried it back to David. But he refused to drink it; instead, he poured it out before the LORD. “Far be it from me, O LORD, to do this!” he said. “Is it not the blood of men who went at the risk of their lives?” And David would not drink it. Such were the exploits of the three mighty men (2 Sam. 23:15-17 NIV).

If David offered up sacrifices to the Lord that cost him money and cost his army the risk of their blood, then we too who live under the better arrangement of the new covenant, should offer up sacrifices that cost us something in time, money and commitment:

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship” (Romans 12:1 ESV).

Let us offer unto our God the true worship in spirit and truth (John 4:24).

Copyright © 2024 Shelby G. Floyd, All Rights Reserved

Shelby G. Floyd, minister, Heartland Church of Christ, 1693 West Main Street, Greenwood, Indiana 46142

EAGLE CHRISTIANS NO. 3

By

Shelby G. Floyd

God’s spiritual children do not need to worry about our security. Almighty God protects us with his everlasting wings. King David alluded to this idea in Psalms 91:1-4:

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust.”
3 Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler
And from the perilous pestilence.
4 He shall cover you with His feathers,
And under His wings you shall take refuge;
His truth shall be your shield and buckler.

JESUS. THE BREAD OF LIFE

By

Shelby G. Floyd

Bread is one of the most basic physiological needs of the body. When Lewis and Clark set out on their transcontinental expedition, bread was one of the staples that they prepared enough to take them to the mouth of the Columbia and back to St. Louis. We all need bread—healthy food to have a healthy body. In Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of human needs, bread would be at the foundation, because it is difficult to think about anything else when a person is hungry. But bread alone will not motivate a person to be all they can be and reach their full potential both here and hereafter.

The Work of God is To Believe
In the book of John, Jesus had told the people that “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” (John 6:28-29.) The crowd of people who came out to see and hear Jesus, challenged him to give them a miraculous sign in order that they might believe in him:

So they asked him, “What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'”
Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
“Sir,” they said, “from now on give us this bread.”
Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. (John 6:30-35).

Jesus Is the Bread of Life
Jesus is the bread of life and the water of life. Without him and God’s word that he brought to us, we will shrivel up and die spiritually. It was Jesus who said to the devil who encouraged him to turn the stones into bread: “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4:4, NKJV.)

Spirit, Soul, Body
Man is a triune being—spirit, soul and body: “May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:23). Notice that in the divine order it is “spirit, soul and body,” not “body, soul and spirit.” Man is a spirit with a body—the spirit is the primary nature of man. The spirit will survive only when it is fed with “the bread of life!” God’s children should feed on “the bread of life” every day and especially when the whole church comes together to worship on the Lord’s Day.

Copyright © 2024 Shelby G. Floyd, All Rights Reserved

 

Shelby G. Floyd, Heartland Church of Christ, 1693 West Main Street, Greenwood, Indiana 46142

EAGLE CHRISTIANS No. 2

By

Shelby G. Floyd

 

The people of God are compared to many things in the teaching of Jesus. He used many parables, allegories, and similes to describe the people of God. But one of the most striking images to which servants of God are compared is the Eagle!

THE EAGLE FAMILY

Now let us take a look at the Eagle family. Perhaps we can learn a lot about our family by studying the Eagle family. It is like our Eagle Father and Mother. And the Bible pictures God looking out for his people in many ways like a father and a mother.
God the Father and Mother Eagle Protect Their Children As Christians we begin our spiritual life a lot like baby eagles. And hopefully as we grow and develop in the Christian life, ultimately, we will soar into heaven itself to the presence of God and our Lord Jesus Christ (John 14:1-3).

God the Father Eagle protects his children by covering them with his everlasting wings. King David described God’s care for us under the figure of the Eagle wings:

He shall cover you with His feathers,
And under His wings you shall take refuge;
His truth shall be your shield and buckler. (Psalms 91:4 NKJV).

EAGLE CHRISTIANS NO. 1

By

 

Shelby G. Floyd

 

The topic of my lesson today is Eagle Christians. We are Christians because Paul and Barnabas called the disciples “Christians” first at Antioch (Acts 11:26).

Jesus often compared his people to different similes, allegories, parables, and allegorical figures of speech. For instance, one time he said, “I am the vine, and you are the branches.” Jesus compared us to the light of the city on a hill. And he said I am the good shepherd, and my sheep follow me. One time he likened us to the salt of the earth. Paul compared us to soldiers in the army of the Lord. He also spoke of Christian people as runners in the race for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

PRIORITIES–PUT GOD FIRST

By

Shelby G. Floyd

Good morning! It is good to see all of you. We are ready to begin a new year. We pray that God will bless the Heartland church.  Seek to grow numerically and spiritually.

This is the time of the year that we make resolutions. But after a few weeks we forget all about it. I made two resolutions. First, I plan to read my Bible completely in 2024. And the second resolution is I will put God first. I have done that since I first began to preach the gospel about 63 years ago. And yet I fall short each year!

It seems to me that if we keep these two resolutions, we do not need to make a lot of other resolutions. Those two will take care of everything else. Read your Bible and learn what God wants you to do. It is a big book, so it will take discipline to read it completely. And if we put God first, that will take care of most things that we worry about.

Our text is Matthew 6:25-34. There are so many things that ask for our time and attention. And it becomes easy to leave off Bible reading and put other things ahead!