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IT CAN’T BE DONE WITHOUT YOU
(Or, I can’t do it without you)
I Cor. 3:6-9
Sunday Evening Sermon
October 4, 1998
Fair Avenue Baptist Church
This past week I attended the National God Save America Conference. Along with my wife and son, we also took four others. The week started good on Monday and Tuesday. Lonnie Mattingly and Bruce Cummons did outstanding. It picked up a little steam on Wednesday and then on Thursday it got real good. The message Thursday morning was outstanding by Pastor John Jenkins. It never slowed down all the way through Dr. Hyles’ message on Friday morning. My batteries were recharged Friday morning during the message of Pastor Doug Fisher. And it was his message that prompted this message
tonight.
This won’t be a preachy-preachy message or a great theological truth. This will be a very simple message. It is a message from my heart.
The title of my message is a long one, a double title, and here it is, “IT CAN’T BE DONE WITHOUT YOU, or subtitled, I CAN’T DO IT WITHOUT YOU.”
I believe most everyone here in this
auditorium tonight believes that God wants to do something through this church. I believe most everyone believes that God wants to do something GREAT through this church.
Yes, I know some of you are not quite so sure that God wants to do anything.
I know that some of you do not believe that God wants to do something special at Fair Avenue Baptist Church.
II Timothy 4:2, “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.”
I am going to combine “rebuke” with
exhorting tonight in this sermon.
In recent months there has been some talk of people not being used around the church. I was rebuked for not using some of our men. Several people voiced complaints about not being in a “select group.” By the way, there is no such thing as a select group. But my point is that two or three people were complaining about not being used or not being appointed to certain positions.
Now, it’s my turn to rebuke.
You had your chance.
You had the opportunity to turn in your “Willing Service” forms,
You had ample opportunities to get another form if you had misplaced or lost yours,
It was announced for several weeks,
It was announced in every service for several weeks,
You were asked to volunteer,
You had your chance to get involved,
You had a chance to do something,
You were asked to volunteer for specific jobs,
You were asked to volunteer for the very jobs you had previously asked about,
And yet, you didn’t turn in your form.
And you didn’t turn in your form because you didn’t want to turn in your form.
So, I’m just saying, and please don’t
misunderstand what I’m saying, “If you didn’t turn in a form, you don’t have any right to complain.”
“Well, preacher, I didn’t see the need to fill out that form. If you need something, just ask me and I’ll do it.”
That’s my point, I did ask you!
I asked you to fill out a form to do something, to let me know what you felt comfortable doing, something you wanted to do, an area where you felt you could contribute.
If you didn’t turn in a form, don’t be whining about anything,
If you didn’t turn in a form, get the chip off your shoulder,
If you didn’t turn in a form, quit your sticking griping and belly-aching,
If you didn’t turn in a form, don’t start
whining when you aren’t appointed to a church position for 1999.
And just a note for you men. I asked every man - I SAID, EVERY MAN - to fill out a form and let me know if you were interested in serving as Church Treasurer, the Minister of Finance,
I asked every man to let me know if you were interested in being Missions Secretary,
I asked every men to let me know if you were interested in serving in any position,
I asked every man to let me know if you were interested in serving on the Board of Trustees,
I even asked every man to let me know if
you were interested in serving on a Board of Deacons,
AND I DIDN’T GET A WHOLE LOT OF VOLUNTEERS! Only five men volunteered to hold a position in the church. Only six men turned in a form. Wait a minute, we have a lot more than six men members in this church.
SO, as far as I’m concerned, case closed!
Finished!
End of story!
Let’s move on to something much more
positive.
NOW, some of us believe that God has
something special for our church. Some of us believe that God wants to open the windows of heaven and flood us with blessings.
I believe we have a great church.
We have some outstanding people.
We have some great teachers and workers.
We have some of the best bus workers.
There are some good, solid Christians here in our church.
And it to you that I want to preach tonight. I want to open my heart and take a few minutes to say “Thank you.” After a rebuke, let me exhort with longsuffering.
I want to say “Thank you” to those ladies who sign up to keep the Nursery. The nursery workers are some of the most important people in the church. I want to say “Thank you” to those of you ladies who recently turned in your “Willing Service” volunteer forms and volunteered to keep the Nursery.
Diane Martin Sherry Bryant
Kathleen Melton Diana Burrow
Carolyn Amoroso Sherry Sicking
Doris Fomby Judy Miller
Karen Gregg Margaret Merrick
Dana Jones Jean Sorrell
Thank you, ladies.
It can’t be done without you,
I can’t do it without you.
We are laborers together with Christ.
I want to say “Thank you” to each one of
you who took the time to read through the “Willing Service” volunteer forms and then volunteered to work around the church.
30 people turned in their forms.
Thank you so very much.
It can’t be done without you,
I can’t do it without you.
We are laborers together with Christ.
I want to say “Thank you” to the men who turned in their forms:
Tim Sicking, Brian Stover,
Oscar Turnham, J.W. Burrow,
Loy Bozarth, Jody Gregg
It can’t be done without you,
I can’t do it without you.
We are laborers together with Christ.
I want to say “Thank you” to the those men who turned in their forms and said, “Preacher, I’ll do whatever it takes.”
Whatever, Whatever,
Just point me in the right direction, preacher, I’ll do it
Tim Sicking Brian Stover
Oscar Turnham J.W. Burrow
Loy Bozarth Richard Way
It can’t be done without you,
I can’t do it without you.
We are laborers together with Christ.
And when I go up to pray at the National God Save America Conference, in front of more than a thousand people, in front of more than one hundred preachers, and when Bro. Gomez says that Bro. Way has a great church down in Texas, I am humbled. Why? Because it can’t be done without you and I can’t do it without you. I may get most of the accolades, but you get and deserve the credit.
I want to say “Thank you” to the teenagers who took a form and volunteered to work around the church.
Jana Martin Ashlie Martin
Mary Crisp Heather Lambert
Jack Lambert Richard Way
Kristain Stephens
It can’t be done without you,
I can’t do it without you.
We are laborers together with Christ.
And speaking of teenagers, I’ve traveled around this country a time or two, and as I mentioned earlier, I just got back from Elgin, Illinois. And while I was surrounded by
several hundred, yes, several hundred
teenagers, I was more than proud of our young people. We have some fine young people. A two thousand mile round trip, a week of conference preaching, motel rooms and meals - not one ounce of trouble. Thanks, teenagers.
It can’t be done without you,
I can’t do it without you.
We are laborers together with Christ.
It was also precious to get a form back from one of the kids in our Junior Department. When I got the form of Tonja Newsome, I was so thankful. She volunteered to sweep the south hall, straighten songbooks, clean the womens restrooms, clean the north glass door, and work on a bus route.
It can’t be done without you,
I can’t do it without you.
We are laborers together with Christ.
I want to say “Thank you” to those ladies who turned in their forms. It is special to see so many ladies volunteer.
Carolyn Amoroso Tracie Stover
Diana Burrow Jennifer Bozarth
Kathleen Melton Doris Fomby
Dana Jones Ethel Howell
Karen Gregg Diane Martin
Sherry Bryant Sherry Sicking
Beverly Evans Judy Miller
Margaret Merrick Pat Lemons
Jean Sorrell
It can’t be done without you,
I can’t do it without you.
We are laborers together with Christ.
30 people volunteered to work
people volunteered to serve
people said, “I love my church,”
“I love my church enough to volunteer”
And to you I say “Thank you.”
It can’t be done without you,
I can’t do it without you.
We are laborers together with Christ.
I want to say “Thank you” to everyone is faithful to tithe week in and week out. You are faithful to give month after month and year after year.
It can’t be done without you,
I can’t do it without you.
We are laborers together with Christ.
I would also like to say “Thank you” in
advance for those of you who are already planning on going to Oklahoma City to help us try and win that bus. My heart was thrilled when I began to hear people talking about going - not once, but planning on going several times.
It can’t be done without you,
I can’t do it without you.
We are laborers together with Christ.
In some of our recent planning meetings we had a good turnout of men and women. They worked hard and have worked hard to put together a good fall Sunday School campaign. They have worked hard to plan several events for this year. They’ve come out on several nights to plan and discuss and plan and work hard for their church.
J.W. Burrow Brian Stover
Tim Sicking Sherry Bryant
Dana Jones Vicki Turnham
Carolyn Amoroso Beverly Evans
It can’t be done without you,
I can’t do it without you.
We are laborers together with Christ.
Let me close by saying that I know some of you didn’t turn in your “Willing Service” forms but I also know you’ll help around the church. You intended to turn your form in, but you just forgot. Thanks for your good intentions. I know you’ll pitch in and work with us.
It can’t be done without you,
I can’t do it without you.
We are laborers together with Christ.
Let me also insert here that just because you didn’t turn in a form doesn’t mean that I
believe you are not interested.
I’m not trying to paint a picture of a horrible and wicked person just because you didn’t turn in your form. If you never turn in a form, I’m still going to love you and pray for you. We will still be friends and get along.
I’m not mad at you for not turning in a form. I am a little disappointed, but I am not mad or angry. We can still be laborers together for the Lord.
Jeremiah 33:3 can apply to each and every one of us, “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not.”
BUT
It can’t be done without you,
I can’t do it without you.
We are laborers together with Christ.
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