God's Ledger of Life

By Tom Moore
INTRODUCTION:
A. Most of us are familiar with the principle of bookkeeping.
1. We have assets and liabilities.
2. When liabilities outweigh assets, we have a problem.
3. Assets and liabilities have a much wider application in our world.
B. People in a company, or in a church, may be an asset, or a liability.
1. Too many liabilities make it impossible for either to succeed.
2. Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting (Daniel 5:27)
Nebuchadnezzar was a liability
3. He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me
scattereth abroad (Matthew 12:30) the Pharisees were a liability
4. In similar fashion, there are many in the Lords church today who are liabilities
to the cause of Christ.
a. Many are hurting or hindering the church
b. It is assets, NOT liabilities that will cause the cause of Christ to flourish
C. This evening, let us consider the question, Which am I, a liability or an asset
to the church?
DISCUSSION:
A. ARE WE ZEALOUS WORKERS FOR THE LORD OR LUKEWARM CHURCH
MEMBERS?
1. Asset: zealous worker
a. We are an asset to the church is we are willing workers in the kingdom.
b. 2 Corinthians 9:2
For I know the forwardness (willingness NKJ) of your mind, for which I
boast of you to them of Macedonia, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and
your zeal hath provoked very many.
c. We are an asset to the Lords church through our zeal for good works for
several reasons:
1) We provoke or encourage others to do the same
And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works
(Hebrews 10:24).

2) The Lords work is accomplished

a) Wishing wont get the job done
b) Waiting for someone else to do it wont do it either
d. Notice these biblical examples of zealous workers:
1) Nehemiah 4:21
So we laboured in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising
of the morning till the stars appeared.
2) This occurred because the people had a mind to work (Nehemiah 4:6)
3) Isaiah 62:1
For Zions sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalems sake I will not
rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation
thereof as a lamp that burneth.
2. Liability: lukewarm church member
a. We are a horrible liability to the Lords cause if we are lukewarm or
halfhearted about the Lords work.
b. Notice what the Lord says about lukewarmness:
I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold
or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will
spue thee out of my mouth (Rev. 3:16).
c. When we halfheartedly go about doing the work of the Lord we are a liability
to the church because:
1) We discourage others
2) We are showing our children the Lord is not all that important
3) The Lords work is not accomplished
B. ARE YOU A LIBERAL GIVER OR ARE YOU COVETOUS?
1. Asset: liberal giver
a. Romans 12:1
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present
your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your
reasonable service.
b. The Lord says to freely give because you have been given so much
(Matthew 10:8).
c. 2 Corinthians 8:1-12
d. We are an asset when we give liberally because:
1) We have proven that we have given ourselves wholly unto the Lord

2) We help the Lords work

3) We show concern for the Lords work
2. Liability: courteousness
a. Ephesians 5:5
For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous
man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of
God.
b. Hebrews 13:5
Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such
things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
c. We are a liability to the Lords cause when we are covetous because:
1) We are robbing God (Malachi 3:8)
2) We are putting what the world has to offer above what God has to offer
3) Our heart is not right before the Lord
C. ARE YOU FAITHFUL OR ARE YOU A FORSAKER?
1. Asset: faithful
a. Matthew 25:21
His lord said unto him, Well done,[thou good and faithful servant: thou hast
been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter
thou into the joy of thy lord.
b. Luke 16:10
He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that
is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.
c. 1 Corinthians 4:2
Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.
d. Revelation 2:10
e. We are an asset to the church if we are faithful because:
1) We will not allow things to go undone
2) We will believe, do and teach that which is in accordance with Gods will
3) We will help the church to grow
2. Liability: forsaker
a. Hebrews 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.
b. 2 Corinthians 4:10
Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life
also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
c. We are a liability to the church if we are a forsaker because:
1) We fail to exhort one another
2) We fail to manifest Jesus in our lives
3) We tear down the church
D. ARE YOU STUDIOUS OR IGNORANT OF GODS WORD?
1. Asset: studious
a. 2 Timothy 2:15
b. 2 Timothy 3:14
But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been
assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them.
c. 1 Timothy 4:13
Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.
d. We are assets to the Lords church when we are studious because:
1) We know truth from error
2) We understand what we are to do to be pleasing unto to God
3) Gods word will work in us
2. Liability: ignorance
a. 2 Peter 3:5
For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens
were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water.
b. Romans 10:3
For they being ignorant of Gods righteousness, and going about to
establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the
righteousness of God.
c. We are a liability to the church when we are ignorant of Gods word because:
1) We fail to understand the very basics of Christianity
2) We will be swept into error
3) We will do thing our own way and not the Lords

4) We will weaken the church

E. ARE WE AN EXAMPLE OR A REPROACH TO THE CHURCH?
1. Asset: example
a. 1 Timothy 4:12
Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in
word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.
b. Matthew 5:16
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and
glorify your Father which is in heaven.
c. We are an asset to the church if we are a good example because:
1) We encourage others to faithfulness
2) We teach
3) We can win lost souls to Christ
2. Liability: reproach
a. Proverbs 14:34
Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.
b. When we are a reproach to the church men willblaspheme that worthy name
by the which ye are called(James 2:7)
c. We are a liability to the church if we are reproach because:
1) We lower moral standards in the church and community
2) We set a bad example
3) We cause men to look down on the Lords church
F. ARE YOU SPIRITUAL OR WORLDLY?
1. Asset: spiritual
a. Romans 8:6
For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and
peace.
b. Titus 2:11-12
For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live
soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.
c. We are an asset to the church when we are spiritual because:
1) We promote life and peace

2) We keep the church pure

3) We help lead others to heaven
2. Liability: worldly
a. 1 John 2:15
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love
the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
b. Galatians 5:19-21
Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery,
fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred,
variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders,
drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I
have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not
inherit the kingdom of God.
c. We are a liability to the church if we are worldly because:
1) We cause souls to be lost
2) We bring shame to the church
3) We cause the church to be unclean
4) We weaken the church
CONCLUSION:
A. Are you an asset or a liability to the church here?
B. Do you come with a solution or are you part of the problem?
C. Are you oil or sand in the machinery?
D. Are you a green light or a red light?
E. God keeps the books He makes no mistakes Some day He will demand a
reckoning A balance of the books Will you be one who is found on the
right side of the ledger?