Historical Posts
The Godhead, a Closer Look – audio
Old - G E L N D J J R 1S 2S 1K 2K 1C 2C E N E J P P E S I J L E D H J A O J M N H Z H Z MNew - M M L J A R 1C 2C G E P C 1Th 2Th 1T 2T T P H J 1P 2P 1J 2J 3J J R - Topical - All - Archive
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Continued from “The Godhead”
I. DIFFERENCES.
A. Authority.
1. All authority belongs to the Father.
a) Wait a second… Didn’t Jesus say that all authority belonged to Him. Matthew 28:18. And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
(1) Note carefully, that Jesus said that all authority had been GIVEN to Him.
(2) Who did the giving?
(3) The answer is: the Father. 1 Corinthians 15:24-28. Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. For “He has put all things under His feet.” But when He says “all things are put under Him,” it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted. Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.
(4) This passage teaches that the One who put all things under Jesus’ feet (The Father) is not, Himself, under Jesus’ feet (Or authority).
(5) Or, in other words, the one who bestows authority on another is not Himself under that authority.
b) Before His incarnation, Jesus was on an equal footing in terms of authority with the Father.
(1) Philippians 2:5-6. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God
(2) John 1:1. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
(3) Nowhere in the Old Testament do we see any hint of Jesus being in subjection to the Father.
c) However, that all changed when Jesus put on flesh. Philippians 2:7-8. But made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
(1) Notice that it was a voluntary submission to the Father.
(2) Jesus willingly gave up equality with the Father to become a man.
d) Hence, the statement by Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:3. But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.
(1) Man being the head of woman does not imply that…
(a) The woman is not human.
(b) The woman is inferior to the man.
(2) In the same way, the Father being the Head of Christ does not imply that…
(a) Jesus is not God.
(b) Jesus is inferior to the Father in any way.
e) This relationship is further illustrated by Jesus’ position at the Father’s right hand.
(1) Acts 7:55-56. But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”
(2) Hebrews 1:3. Who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high
(3) Philippians 2:9-11. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
f) In saying that Jesus is subject to the Father, we are not degrading Him in any way.
(1) Indeed, we are really glorifying Him as He deserves to be glorified.
(2) What an amazing thing He did when He took on flesh!
(3) What a sacrifice He made for us.
(4) 2 Corinthians 8:9. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.
(5) 2 Corinthians 9:15. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!
2. Jesus has all authority in heaven and on earth. (With the exception noted above.)
a) All of the physical creation is under His authority. Colossians 1:15-18. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.
b) The angels are under Jesus’ authority.
(1) Hebrews 1:6-7. But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says: “Let all the angels of God worship Him.” And of the angels He says: “Who makes His angels spirits And His ministers a flame of fire.”
(2) Hebrews 1:13. But to which of the angels has He ever said: “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool”?
3. The Holy Spirit is under the authority of both the Father and the Son.
a) While the Scriptures do not come right out and say it, several passages in the New Testament imply this fact.
b) If all authority in HEAVEN and earth was given to Jesus, and only the Father is excepted, then the Holy Spirit is under the authority of Jesus.
c) Notice the following passages:
(1) John 14:26. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.
(2) John 15:26. “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.
(3) John 16:13-15. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.
B. Roles played in the past.
1. In creation. Genesis 1:1. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
a) God created the heavens and the earth.
b) But is this God, the Father, God, the Son, or God the Holy Spirit.
c) As a matter of fact, it was all three of Them.
(1) The Father made all things through Jesus. Ephesians 3:9. And to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ (Also see Colossians 1:15-18)
(2) The Holy Spirit was there as well. Genesis 1:2. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
d) It has been said that, in regard to their roles: The Father wills it; the Son accomplishes it; and the Holy Spirit creates order.
2. In the scheme of redemption. 1 Peter 1:2. Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.
a) The Father wills it. 1 Timothy 2:3-4. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
(1) It was the Father who sent Jesus. John 3:16. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
(2) It was the Father who sent the Holy Spirit. John 14:26. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.
b) The Son brings it into being. Hebrews 1:3. Who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high
c) The Holy Spirit created order.
(1) 2 Peter 1:19-21. And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.
(2) 1 Corinthians 12:7-11. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.
The Godhead – audio
Old - G E L N D J J R 1S 2S 1K 2K 1C 2C E N E J P P E S I J L E D H J A O J M N H Z H Z MNew - M M L J A R 1C 2C G E P C 1Th 2Th 1T 2T T P H J 1P 2P 1J 2J 3J J R - Topical - All - Archive
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Continued in “The Godhead – A Closer Look”
Text: Romans 1:18-20
Introduction
1. What does the term “Godhead” mean?
2. Is there one God or two or three?
3. If there are three Persons of the Godhead, what is our relationship to each One?
4. Do we pray to all three or just one or two?
5. Did the Father die for our sins or did Jesus?
6. We all need to have an adequate understanding of the Godhead.
7. It deals with the very nature of the God that we all serve.
8. While it is fundamental and essential, that doesn’t mean that it is necessarily easy to grasp.
9. As with any Biblical topic, when studying about the Godhead we must be sure to look at all of the relevant passages.
10. We must make sure not to have “made up our minds” ahead of time.
11. We must be aware that there are many false teachings in regard to the Godhead floating around out there.
12. My goal is not to look at each of these false theories but to see what the truth is as revealed by the word of God.
Body
I. A DEFINITION
A. Godhead – Theiotes – divinity or divine nature.
1. Divinity – the quality of being divine.
2. Divine – being a deity.
3. Deity – Supreme being.
B. The word “Godhead” is used three times in the Scriptures.
1. Romans 1:20. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.
a) Referring to the divine nature of the Creator.
b) His limitless power and infinite wisdom that are demonstrated in His creation.
2. Acts 17:29. Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising.
a) Obviously, the NKJV renders the word “Divine Nature” here. Which is the true meaning.
b) It could also be translated “the Deity.”
c) A perfect way to distinguish between the one True God and the conflicting gods of paganism.
3. Colossians 2:9. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.
a) The Divine Nature is manifest in Jesus Christ.
b) Here, the term means “deity” or “divinity.”
II. WHEN THINKING ABOUT THE GODHEAD, WE MUST REALIZE THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THREE DISTINCT BEINGS.
A. We see this first illustrated for us in Genesis 1.
1. In Genesis 1:1, the Hebrew word for “God” is “Elohim.”
a) “Elohim” comes from the Hebrew root meaning “strength” or “power.”
b) The “im” on the end makes it plural.
c) However, all of the verbs in the text are singular.
d) Thus, “Elohim” is a plural noun with a singular nature.
e) The Godhead is made up of three beings with a singular nature!
2. Genesis 1:26. Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
a) Who was God talking to?
b) Here we have one member of the Godhead talking to the other two.
c) The Holy Spirit was present at the creation. Genesis 1:2. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
d) Jesus was present at the creation. John 1:1-3. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.
B. The following passages show that the Godhead is made up of three distinct beings.
1. Matthew 3:16-17. When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
2. John 14:16-17. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever — the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.
3. 1 Corinthians 13:14. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.
4. Romans 15:30. Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in prayers to God for me.
5. 1 Peter 1:2. Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ:
III. JESUS IS PART OF THE GODHEAD.
A. Matthew 1:22-23. So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”
B. John 1:1. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
C. John 8:58. Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”
1. One of the names for God in the Old Testament was “Yahweh.”
2. In the Hebrew it was “YHVH” also known as the tetragrammaton.
3. It is the word translated “LORD” in the Old Testament.
4. It is the word from which we get “Jehovah.”
5. It simply means “to be.”
6. It is used to portray the eternal nature of God.
7. Exodus 3:14-15. And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” Moreover God said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.’
8. In John 8:58, Jesus identifies Himself as Jehovah!
9. Isaiah 40:3. The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ” Prepare the way of the LORD; Make straight in the desert A highway for our God.
a) This passage is referring to John the Baptist’s preparation for Jesus.
b) Matthew 3:3.
10. Micah 5:2. “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.”
D. Philippians 2:5-6. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God.
IV. THE HOLY SPIRIT IS GOD.
A. Acts 5:3-4. But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.”
B. The Holy Spirit is not an “it” but an “He.”
1. John 15:26. “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.
2. He is not some nebulous energy sent out from the Father.
3. He is not puppet controlled by misguided men on earth.
4. He is not some mysterious mystical force that is totally incomprehensible to the human mind.
V. WHAT ABOUT PASSAGES THAT TEACH THAT THERE IS ONLY ONE GOD?
A. There are many passages that point out that there is only one God.
1. Deuteronomy 6:4. “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one!
2. Isaiah 45:5. I am the LORD, and there is no other; There is no God besides Me. I will gird you, though you have not known Me,
3. 1 Timothy 2:5. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.
B. As we have already seen, the Godhead is made up of three beings who are of one Divine Nature.
1. One can not throw out the doctrine of the Godhead and still have a Bible that makes any sense.
2. It is plain that the Bible teaches that there are three Persons in the Godhead.
3. Therefore, the passages that refer to there being only one God are referring to their Divine Nature or Deity.
C. Three everyday examples.
1. The Cleveland Browns are one team.
a) That team is made up of different people.
b) Yet they are all Browns.
c) They are all one team.
d) “Godhead” is much like a team name.
2. Marriage.
a) Made up of two individuals.
b) Yet they are described by God as one flesh. Genesis 2:24. Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
c) Two individuals but one flesh.
3. An egg.
a) When we think of an egg, we think of a shell.
b) But the egg is actually composed of the shell, the yoke, and the whites.
c) But it is still one egg.
d) Without the yolk or the whites, it would not be a complete egg.
Conclusion
1. The Godhead consists of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
2. All three persons of the Godhead want YOU to be saved.
3. All three have worked toward that end.
4. Are you saved?
Continued in “The Godhead – A Closer Look”
Delivered on: December 9, 2012. Streetsboro.
Exodus 32 Ten Lessons from a Golden Calf – audio
Old - G E L N D J J R 1S 2S 1K 2K 1C 2C E N E J P P E S I J L E D H J A O J M N H Z H Z MNew - M M L J A R 1C 2C G E P C 1Th 2Th 1T 2T T P H J 1P 2P 1J 2J 3J J R - Topical - All - Archive
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Text: Exodus 32:1-35
Introduction
1. Last week we noticed that we need to learn from the past.
2. We can learn from other people’s mistakes and thereby do not have to make them ourselves to learn the relevant lessons.
3. The children Israel made many mistakes that we can learn from today.
a. 1 Corinthians 10:6 – Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted.
b. 1 Corinthians 10:11 – Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.
4. Of course, one of the events mentioned in 1 Corinthians 10, is the episode with the golden calf – 1 Corinthians 10:7
5. Here are ten important lessons that WE can learn from a golden calf.
Body
LESSON 1 – REMEMBER, IT WAS NOT MOSES WHO BROUGHT YOU UP OUT OF EGYPT
Exodus 32:1 – Now when the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, the people gathered together to Aaron, and said to him, “Come, make us gods that shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.”
A. The children Israel forgot that it wasn’t Moses who brought them out of Egypt. God had delivered them.
1. Forgetting this fact was one of the direct causes of the sinful actions that would follow.
2. If we are followers of mere men, then one man is as good as another.
3. They replaced Moses with Aaron.
B. Man has always had a propensity to follow other men rather than God.
1. We see that many years later, they still had this mentality – 2 Samuel 8:4-5
2. They forgot that they already had a King. His name was GOD – 1 Samuel 8:7
C. We have the same problem today.
1. Countless people today follow preachers rather than God!
2. This problem started early in the church – 1 Corinthians 1:11-13
a) “I am of Luther.”
b) “I am of Wesley.”
c) “I am of the Pope.”
d) “I am of Calvin.”
e) No! I am of Christ!
3. Many sacrifice their souls because they prefer the praise of men over the praise of God – John 12:42-43
LESSON 2 – REMEMBER IT WAS NOT A GOLDEN CALF THAT BROUGHT YOU UP OUT OF EGYPT.
Exodus 32:2-6 – And Aaron said to them, “Break off the golden earrings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” So all the people broke off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them to Aaron. And he received the gold from their hand, and he fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molded calf. Then they said, “This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!” So when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow is a feast to the Lord.” Then they rose early on the next day, offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.
A. Aaron boldly proclaimed, “This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!”
1. What utter nonsense!
2. What blasphemy!
3. It is easy to see how foolish this statement was.
4. It is also easy to see how foolish it was to believe that statement.
B. Yet, most people in the world today choose to worship the creation rather than the Creator.
1. God’s creation is not God – Romans 1:22-25
2. Colossians 3:5 – Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
a) Covetousness is idolatry.
b) Neither silver nor gold can save us – 1 Peter 1:18-19
c) Man must stop acting as if gold is God.
LESSON 3 – GOD IS A JEALOUS GOD
Exodus 32:9-10 – And the Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and indeed it is a stiff-necked people! 10 Now therefore, let Me alone, that My wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them. And I will make of you a great nation.”
A. Think about how close the Israelites were to true worship…
1. They desired to worship the God who had brought them out of Egypt – Exodus 32:4
2. They desired to worship Him so badly that they were willing to give of their gold – Exodus 32:3
3. They desired to worship Him at an altar – Exodus 32:5
4. They desired to hold a feast to the LORD (Jehovah) – Exodus 32:5
5. They desired to make burnt offerings and peace offerings – Exodus 32:6
B. Yet concerning their worship, God said… – Exodus 32:7-8
1. They had corrupted themselves.
2. They had turned aside quickly out of the way.
3. They have worshiped the CALF (not God).
C. As a result…
1. God was ready to destroy them and start over with Moses.
2. He had warned them about idolatry – Exodus 20:4-5
3. They had willingly entered a covenant with Him – Exodus 24:3
LESSON 4 – IT IS GOOD TO HAVE AN INTERCESSOR
Exodus 32:11-14 – Then Moses pleaded with the Lord his God, and said: “Lord, why does Your wrath burn hot against Your people whom You have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians speak, and say, ‘He brought them out to harm them, to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Your fierce wrath, and relent from this harm to Your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants, to whom You swore by Your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven; and all this land that I have spoken of I give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.’” So the Lord relented from the harm which He said He would do to His people.
A. Moses pleaded with God on behalf of the people.
1. He used three arguments to change God’s mind.
a) He reminded God of all that He had already done for them – Exodus 32:11
b) The Egyptians would think that God brought them out simply to destroy them – Exodus 32:12
c) He reminded God of his promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob – Exodus 32:13
2. As a result of his intercession, God relented from His wrath.
a) Not because the people didn’t deserve His wrath.
b) But because Moses begged Him to spare them.
B. We too have an intercessor.
1. Like the children of Israel…
a) We are deserving of death – Romans 6:23
b) We are unable to save ourselves.
2. Jesus has interceded for us.
a) Luke 23:33-34 – And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”
b) Ephesians 4:32 – And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
c) 1 John 2:1 – My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
3. It is GOOD to have an Intercessor. Without Him, we would all be lost!
LESSON 5 – DON’T TRY TO BLAME YOUR SIN ON SOMEONE ELSE
Exodus 32:22 – So Aaron said, “Do not let the anger of my lord become hot. You know the people, that they are set on evil.
A. Aaron tries to appease Moses’ wrath by blaming his actions on the people.
1. He should have been more worried about God’s anger.
2. People often worry about how their actions affect other people…
a) And even feel guilt for their actions.
b) Without realizing that, even more important than that, is the fact that their sin has hurt God Almighty.
B. Man has always tried to deflect responsibility to others.
1. Genesis 3:12 – Then the man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.”
2. They blame their parents.
3. They blame their friends. (Peer pressure)
4. They blame God.
5. The one thing they will not do is say, “My fault.”
C. Exodus 23:2 – You shall not follow a crowd to do evil; nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after many to pervert justice.
D. Your sin is YOUR fault. Own up to it – Psalm 51:3
LESSON 6 – DON’T LIE TO TRY TO COVER UP YOUR SIN
Exodus 32:24 – And I said to them, ‘Whoever has any gold, let them break it off.’ So they gave it to me, and I cast it into the fire, and this calf came out.”
A. Aaron said, “I just threw the gold in the fire and ‘poof’ this calf came out.”
1. This was a bold faced lie.
2. Exodus 32:4 – And he received the gold from their hand, and he fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molded calf.
B. When we lie to cover a sin what we are showing by our actions is that we care more about what men think about us than what God thinks about us.
1. We can often fool man.
2. We cannot lie to God – Hebrews 4:13
LESSON 7 – PROPER WORSHIP INVOLVES RESTRAINT
Exodus 32:25 – Now when Moses saw that the people were unrestrained (for Aaron had not restrained them, to their shame among their enemies),
A. As we discussed earlier, they were involved in a worship service. However…
1. They were holding an unauthorized feast.
2. They were offering unauthorized sacrifices.
3. They were bowing down to an unauthorized idol.
4. They were even committing sexual immorality as a part of their worship.
5. They must have truly believed that “anything goes” when it came to worship.
B. Proper worship involves:
1. Realizing that God is the audience – John 4:23-34
2. Realizing that in order to please Him, I must worship Him according to truth.
a) 1 Samuel 13:22-23 – So Samuel said: “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king.”
b) God is not obligated to receive our worship – Amos 5:21-23
3. Restraint – a measure or condition that keeps someone or something under control or within limits.
a) God has set the limits on worship.
b) It is up to me to stay within those limits – 1 Corinthians 14:32-33
C. Not exercising restraint in worship results in our own shame.
LESSON 8 – YOU ARE EITHER ON THE LORD’S SIDE OR ON THE DEVIL’S SIDE
Exodus 32:26 – Then Moses stood in the entrance of the camp, and said, “Whoever is on the Lord’s side—come to me!” And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to him.
A. Moses made it clear: You are either on the Lord’s side or you are not.
1. There is no middle ground.
2. There are no shades of gray.
3. They had to decide whose side they were on.
B. We too have a choice to make.
1. Jesus made it clear that there is no middle ground.
a) Matthew 12:30 – He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.
b) Matthew 6:24 – “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
c) John 8:44 – You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.
2. Paul made it clear that there is no middle ground – Romans 6:16-18
LESSON 9 – IT PAYS TO BE ON THE LORD’S SIDE
Exodus 32:25-28 – Now when Moses saw that the people were unrestrained (for Aaron had not restrained them, to their shame among their enemies), then Moses stood in the entrance of the camp, and said, “Whoever is on the Lord’s side—come to me!” And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to him. And he said to them, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘Let every man put his sword on his side, and go in and out from entrance to entrance throughout the camp, and let every man kill his brother, every man his companion, and every man his neighbor.’” So the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And about three thousand men of the people fell that day.
A. Many of those who had rebelled against God lost their lives as a result.
B. Those who choose not to be on the Lord’s side face an even worse fate today.
1. Matthew 10:28 – And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
2. Matthew 25:31-33
C. Those who choose to be on the Lord’s side:
1. Enjoy a happier life now – 1 Timothy 4:8
2. Enjoy the hope of eternal life – 1 Peter 1:3-4
LESSON 10 – WE EACH BEAR RESPONSIBILITY FOR OUR OWN ACTIONS
Exodus 32:32-33 – Yet now, if You will forgive their sin—but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written.” And the Lord said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book.
A. If God would not forgive the people, Moses desired his fate to be the same as theirs.
1. Paul said something similar in Romans 9:1-3
2. Fortunately, it doesn’t work that way.
B. Each of us is responsible for our own destiny.
1. Hebrews 4:13 – And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.
2. Romans 2:5-9 – But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who “will render to each one according to his deeds”: eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek;
Delivered on: November 18, 2012. Streetsboro.
Colossians 01:15-20 The Many Roles of Christ – audio
Old - G E L N D J J R 1S 2S 1K 2K 1C 2C E N E J P P E S I J L E D H J A O J M N H Z H Z MNew - M M L J A R 1C 2C G E P C 1Th 2Th 1T 2T T P H J 1P 2P 1J 2J 3J J R - Topical - All - Archive
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Text: Colossians 1:15-20
Introduction
1. The book of Colossians was written by the apostle Paul to confront a series of errors that were being taught in the churches of Colossae.
2. Among other things, false teachers were evidently teaching that salvation was not through Christ alone but that it was also the work of angels and other spiritual beings.
3. In other words, they believed that the sacrifice of Christ on the cross was not sufficient in and of itself.
4. Paul sets out to prove this teaching false.
5. He points out that it is through Christ that we all can receive forgiveness – Colossians 1:13-14
6. He then goes on to firmly establish the superiority of Christ.
7. Today, let us note some of the phrases he uses to describe Jesus.
Body
I. THE IMAGE OF THE INVISIBLE GOD – Colossians 1:15
A. On the one hand, we know that no man has seen God at any time.
1. Exodus 13:18-23
2. 1 Timothy 6:16 – Who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen.
3. John 1:18 – No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.
B. Yet, Jesus is described as the image (Icon) of the invisible God.
1. An interesting play on words.
2. God, the Father, has appeared to us in the Person of His Son, Jesus.
3. Hence, He is called, “The Word.” – John 1:1-2
4. John 14:8-11
5. Hebrews 1:1-3
6. The Devil does all that he can to blind the world to this fact – 2 Corinthians 4:4-5
7. If we desire to know about the Father, we simply must look to Christ – John 1:18
II. THE FIRSTBORN OVER ALL CREATION – Colossians 1:15-16
A. Many false doctrines have arisen from the phrase “Firstborn over all creation…”
1. This has led some to (Incorrectly) believe that Jesus was the first thing that God created.
2. Colossians 1:16 shows us that Jesus is the Creator of all things.
3. Everything that was created, was created by Him.
4. John 1:3 – All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.
5. He could not have created Himself!
6. Therefore, Jesus is not a created Being.
7. John 8:58 – Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”
B. The difficulty is resolved when we realize that the word “firstborn” is not always talking about chronological order of birth.
1. A more common uses was to emphasize someone’s supremacy.
2. We see this usage in regard to David in Psalm 89:27
3. So, calling Jesus the firstborn over all creation is referring to His supremacy over all creation.
4. Additionally, this is also the meaning of the word…
a) “Beginning” in Colossians 1:18. Arche – chief.
b) “Preeminence” in Colossians 1:18. Proteuo – first in rank.
5. His supremacy over all creation is established by the fact that He is the Creator – Colossians 1: 16
6. Hebrews 3:3-4 – For this One has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as He who built the house has more honor than the house. For every house is built by someone, but He who built all things is God.
C. His authority and supremacy extends to both heaven and earth.
1. Matthew 28:18 – And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
2. Hebrews 1:3-4 – Who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
III. THE SUSTAINER – Colossians 1:17
A. Not only is Jesus the Creator of all things, He is also the Sustainer of all things.
1. Literally, Colossians 1:17 says that “all things stand together.”
2. Creation continues to exist because Jesus upholds it.
B. Hebrews 1:3 – Who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high
C. He will continue to uphold all things until He returns – 2 Peter 3:7
IV. THE HEAD OF THE BODY – Colossians 1:18
A. The body is the church – Colossians 1:24
B. Not only is He supreme over all physical creation; Hebrews also is head over His spiritual kingdom.
1. John 18:36 – Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.”
2. Daniel 7:13-14 – “I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed.
C. There is only one…
1. Body – Ephesians 4:4 – There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling;
2. Head – Ephesians 4:5 – One Lord, one faith, one baptism;
3. Standard by which we are judged – Ephesians 4:5 – One Lord, one faith, one baptism;
V. THE FIRSTBORN FROM THE DEAD – Colossians 1:18
A. Here, the term “firstborn” is used in both of the ways discussed earlier.
1. He was chronologically the first to be raised never to die again.
2. His resurrection was also the first in order of importance as well.
B. Why is Jesus’ resurrection so important?
1. By it He was declared to be the Son of God – Romans 1:4 – And declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.
2. 1 Corinthians 15:17-19 – And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.
a) If Jesus is not raised, then we are still in our sins.
b) If Jesus is not raised, then all those who have already died, are lost for all eternity.
c) We are indeed in a pitiable state.
3. His resurrection foreshadows our own – 1 Corinthians 15:51-54
Conclusion
1. He is the Image of the invisible God.
2. He is the Firstborn over all creation.
3. He is the Sustainer of all creation.
4. He is the Head of the Body.
5. He is the Firstborn from the dead.
6. He is our Savior!
7. Obey Him!
Delivered on: November 25, 2012. Streetsboro.
Philippians 03:12-14 Looking Back – audio
Old - G E L N D J J R 1S 2S 1K 2K 1C 2C E N E J P P E S I J L E D H J A O J M N H Z H Z MNew - M M L J A R 1C 2C G E P C 1Th 2Th 1T 2T T P H J 1P 2P 1J 2J 3J J R - Topical - All - Archive
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Text: Philippians 3:12-14
Introduction
1. Earlier this year, the college football season opened with the University of Michigan playing Alabama.
2. Michigan was beaten badly. 41-14.
3. After the game, coach Brady Hoke said, “The important thing is that we can’t let Alabama beat us twice. This is a week where we will learn about our team’s leadership and our motivation. There are only 11 more guaranteed opportunities for University of Michigan football games, so we have to learn from what happened in Dallas and start focusing on Air Force this weekend.”
4. Wide receiver, Devin Gardner said, “”I haven’t looked at every defense we play, but they have got to be the best. I learned more in that game than I’ve learned in all the practices I’ve had since starting to play wide receiver. That’s the important thing. We don’t just want to forget this happened — we need to learn from this and apply the lessons to Air Force. We can’t let one team beat us twice.”
5. In these comments we see two important facts.
a. Michigan wanted to learn from their mistakes and get better.
b. Then they wanted to move on and not allow Alabama to “beat them twice.”
6. In other words, once they had analyzed the game and learned all they could, they wanted to forget about it and move on.
7. As Christians, we must do the same thing.
Body
I. IT IS BENEFICIAL TO LEARN FROM THE PAST.
A. We can learn from other’s mistakes – 1 Corinthians 10:1-13
1. Notice that in 1 Corinthians 10:6, we are told that what happened to Israel was an example to us.
2. Notice that in 1 Corinthians 10:11, we are told that these things were written for OUR admonition.
3. Their failures, and their subsequent punishment, should teach us…
a) Not to lust after evil things – 1 Corinthians 10:6
b) Not to become idolaters – 1 Corinthians 10:7
c) Not to commit sexual immorality – 1 Corinthians 10:8
d) Not to tempt Christ – 1 Corinthians 10:9
e) Not to complain – 1 Corinthians 10:10
f) Not to think more highly of ourselves than we ought – 1 Corinthians 10:12
4. The Old Testament and history in general are full of lessons to be learned.
B. We can learn from other’s successes – Hebrews 11:1-12:2
1. Hebrews 11:1-40 is often referred to as the Hall of Fame of Faith.
2. It gives us a list of people who trusted God and were rewarded for it – Hebrews 11:6
3. We read of such people as:
a) Able.
b) Enoch.
c) Noah.
d) Abraham and Sarah.
e) Moses.
f) And many others.
4. Then in chapter 12, we are told… Hebrews 12:1-2
a) That “great cloud of witnesses” is comprised of all of those who we discussed in the previous chapter.
b) Their faithfulness to God and God’s faithfulness in them ought to teach us to trust in God as well!
C. We can learn from our own mistakes.
1. David’s example.
a) With Bathsheba.
(1) 2 Samuel 12:7 – Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man!…
(2) 2 Samuel 12:13 – So David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.”
(3) It is important to note that, even though he undoubtedly would have had other opportunities, David never did something like this again.
b) With the movement of the ark.
(1) 2 Samuel 6:3 – So they set the ark of God on a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill; and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drove the new cart.
(2) 2 Samuel 6:6-7 – And when they came to Nachon’s threshing floor, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. Then the anger of the Lord was aroused against Uzzah, and God struck him there for his error; and he died there by the ark of God.
(3) David learned from his mistake – 1 Chronicles 15:11-15
2. What about us?
a) Are we wise enough to learn from our past mistakes?
b) Proverbs 26:11 – As a dog returns to his own vomit, So a fool repeats his folly.
c) We have a duty, an obligation, to learn from our past mistakes.
d) If we do not learn, we are doomed to repeat the mistakes again and again.
e) Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. – Einstein.
f) Learn from your mistake so that at least one good thing will come from it.
D. We can learn from our own successes.
1. David’s example – 1 Samuel 17:34-37
a) David knew that God had delivered him from the lion and bear in the past.
b) As a result, he knew that God would deliver him from Goliath.
c) It is important to note that David gave God the credit. He did not claim to have done these things by his own power or strength.
2. What about us?
a) Do we remember all of the answered prayers?
b) Do we remember all of the times that God helped us get through a difficult patch?
c) Remembering those things ought to give us courage for the future.
II. ONCE WE HAVE LEARNED WHAT CAN BE LEARNED FROM THE PAST, WE MUST PRESS ON.
A. Dwelling on past mistakes can be torture.
1. If ever anyone who had a past that they would like to forget, it had to be the apostle Paul.
2. Yet, he said that he had to forget the past and press on – Philippians 3:12-14
3. There comes a time, when you just have to move on and press onward and upward.
4. Even if our heart condemns us (We can’t forgive ourselves), God is greater than our heart – 1 John 3:20
B. Dwelling on past successes has the potential to be equally dangerous.
1. Past successes will not get me to heaven.
2. I have to stay faithful till death.
3. Ezekiel 18:24
4. Even Paul pointed out that he had not yet attained to perfection – Philippians 3:12
5. I must not be overconfident – 1 Corinthians 10:12
III. THERE IS ONE SENSE IN WHICH WE MUST NEVER LOOK BACK – LUKE 9:61-62
A. No one has ever turned back who has not first looked back.
B. We dare not look back on our previous lifestyle with longing.
1. Proverbs 3:31
2. Proverbs 23:17
3. Proverbs 24:1
4. Proverbs 24:19-20
C. Hebrews 6:4-6
D. 2 Peter 2:20-21
Conclusion
1. As Christians, we must learn from both our past mistakes and our past successes.
2. Once we learn what we can, we must move on…
a. And not continually beat ourselves up over our mistakes.
b. And not continually pat ourselves on our back for our successes.
3. We must never look back to that old life of sin with a desire to return.
Delivered on: November 11, 2012. Streetsboro.
Hebrews 11:6 Diligence – audio
Old - G E L N D J J R 1S 2S 1K 2K 1C 2C E N E J P P E S I J L E D H J A O J M N H Z H Z MNew - M M L J A R 1C 2C G E P C 1Th 2Th 1T 2T T P H J 1P 2P 1J 2J 3J J R - Topical - All - Archive
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Text: Hebrews 11:6
I. WHAT IS DILIGENCE?
A. English definition: diligence – careful and persistent work or effort.
B. Two Greek words:
1. Spoude – “speed”, that is, (By implication) despatch, eagerness, earnestness: – business, (Earnest) care (-fulness), diligence forwardness, haste.
2. Ekzeteo – to search out, that is, (Figuratively) investigate, crave, demand, (By Hebraism) worship: – en- (Re-) quire, seek after (Carefully, diligently).
C. One Hebrew word: mishmar – a guard (The man, the post, or the prison); figuratively a deposit; also (As observed) a usage (Abstractly), or an example (Concretely): – diligence, guard, office, prison, ward, watch.
D. We demand diligence from…
1. Our doctors.
a) We expect them to have been diligent in their studies.
b) We expect them to be diligent in their treatment of us and our loved ones.
c) I recently heard someone saying that they were changing doctors because their doctor had prescribed a medicine to them and had not even bothered to see what other medicines they were taking. When this person read up on the new medicine he saw that it was never to be used with one of the medicines he was already taking. His doctor had not been careful (Or diligent).
2. Our bankers.
a) Would any of us ever dream of putting up with a sloppy banker?
b) We expect them to be thorough and persistent when they are dealing with our money.
3. Our children’s teachers.
a) We expect our children’s teachers to be careful and persistent.
b) We expect them to give time and attention to making sure that our children are learning what they are supposed to learn.
4. Our mechanics.
a) We pay them to fix problems.
b) We expect them to know how to fix the problems we are having.
5. Basically, we expect (Or at least desire) diligence from everyone with whom we deal on a daily basis.
E. We demonstrate diligence…
1. With our finances.
a) Savings.
b) Taxes.
c) Retirement.
d) Credit, Loans, Mortgages.
2. With our jobs (Hopefully).
a) We train.
b) We go to work daily.
c) We work hard.
3. With our homes and automobiles. (Maintenance and upkeep)
4. With our health. (Hopefully)
5. A lack of diligence in any of these areas can cause severe problems in our lives!
II. DILIGENCE IN OUR SALVATION.
A. Are we diligent in the one area that matters more than any other?
B. Your salvation ought to be the most important thing in your life.
1. Matthew 16:26. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
2. Colossians 3:1-4. If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.
C. We are told to be diligent with our salvation.
1. 2 Timothy 2:15. Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
a) Part of presenting ourselves approved to God requires us to rightly divide the word.
b) To know it, interpret it correctly.
c) This takes time and effort.
2. 2 Peter 3:14. Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless
a) Listen up!
b) Jesus is coming back some day! He is!!!
c) You be careful. You be persistent in His service.
d) Trust me. You want to be found without spot and blameless when He comes.
3. Romans 12:10-11. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; 11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord
a) Where there is no fervency, diligence lags.
b) Fervency – heat, boiling.
c) Are you hot or cold?
4. Hebrews 11:6. But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
a) God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
b) Does “diligent” describe how you seek God?
c) If you were on trial for being a seeker of God, would there be sufficient evidence to convict you?
III. DILIGENCE IN GUARDING OUR HEART.
A. Proverbs 4:23. Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.
1. This passage says to guard your heart with the diligence of a prison guard.
2. Prison guards we responsible for their prisoners.
3. If one escaped, they had to take their place.
4. They were very diligent in their duties.
5. The Philippian Jailer was about to kill himself when he thought his prisoners had escaped. Acts 16:27. And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself.
B. But what does it mean to guard our heart?
1. The “heart” is not talking about our blood pump.
2. It is referring to our mind.
3. Guarding our heart is talking about controlling our passions and desires.
a) 1 Corinthians 9:27. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.
b) Proverbs 25:28. Whoever has no rule over his own spirit Is like a city broken down, without walls.
c) If we never allow sin to reign in our minds, it will not show itself in our actions.
4. Matthew 5:27-28. “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”
IV. DILIGENCE IN SPIRITUAL GROWTH.
A. 2 Peter 1:10. Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble;
1. Do what things?
2. 2 Peter 1:5-7. But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.
3. We are to add these qualities to our character.
4. This is talking about spiritual growth.
B. We must be diligent in seeking spiritual growth.
1. All of us ought to be advancing to the place where we can teach others. Hebrews 5:12. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food.
a) Think about the diligence it requires to be a teacher in a secular school.
b) Those who want to be teachers must go through several years of instruction.
c) They are held accountable for learning the material. TESTS.
d) Do we put forth the same effort to become spiritual teachers?
(1) What if I gave you a test today?
(2) Tell what the Bible teaches in regard to the following: Give Bible references:
(a) The deity of Christ.
(b) The oneness of the church.
(c) Scriptural organization of the church.
(d) Christian worship.
(i) Acts of worship.
(ii) Time of worship.
(e) Sinfulness of denominationalism.
(3) These are not unreasonable questions.
(4) If you don’t have all of the information off the top of your head, do you know where to find it?
2. All of us must sanctify the Lord in our hearts and be ready to give an answer. 1 Peter 3:15. But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear
V. DILIGENCE IN PASSING ON KNOWLEDGE TO THOSE WHO FOLLOW.
A. 2 Peter 1:15. Moreover I will be careful to ensure that you always have a reminder of these things after my decease.
1. Peter was writing because he knew that his life was near it’s end.
2. He wanted to make sure that those who succeeded him would be adequately prepared face whatever life threw at them.
B. I think we all understand that we have an obligation to the next generation to pass on those things that we have learned.
1. Deuteronomy 6:4-9. “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
2. Ephesians 6:4. And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.
3. Are we diligent in this?
a) Do we take an active part in the spiritual education of our children or do we leave that to the Bible class teachers?
b) It is not the church’s responsibility to bring your child up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. It is your responsibility.
(1) One of the tools you can use is Bible Class.
(2) Are you using it?
c) You ought to be involved with the spiritual education of your children.
d) Home devotionals in the evening.
VI. WHAT PRODUCES DILIGENCE?
A. Godly sorrow. 2 Corinthians 7:10-11. For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death. For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter.
1. Have you ever messed up and let someone down and then used that to motivate you to do better from that point on?
2. Godly sorrow produced diligence in the Corinthians.
3. Their sorrow over their sin and shortcomings led them to strive to do better.
B. All of us have sinned. Romans 3:23. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
1. Those who are truly sorry (Godly sorrow) use their past failures as a way of motivating their selves for the future.
2. That does not mean that we “beat ourselves up” over these past failures. Philippians 3:13-14. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
VII. DILIGENCE TO THE END.
A. Our diligence must endure to the end.
Hebrews 6:10-12. For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister. And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
B. Those who inherit the promises are the ones who have been found diligent at the time of their death.
Ezekiel 18:21-24. “But if a wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. None of the transgressions which he has committed shall be remembered against him; because of the righteousness which he has done, he shall live. Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?” says the Lord GOD, “and not that he should turn from his ways and live? “But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? All the righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; because of the unfaithfulness of which he is guilty and the sin which he has committed, because of them he shall die.
Delivered on: October 9, 2011. Streetsboro.
1 Peter 03:10 Lies and Deceit – audio
Old - G E L N D J J R 1S 2S 1K 2K 1C 2C E N E J P P E S I J L E D H J A O J M N H Z H Z MNew - M M L J A R 1C 2C G E P C 1Th 2Th 1T 2T T P H J 1P 2P 1J 2J 3J J R - Topical - All - Archive
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Text: 1 Peter 3:10
Introduction
1. In honor of the upcoming elections, today we are going to discuss LIES AND DECEIT.
2. James 3:6-8. And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
3. The world is full of liars.
4. From a very young age, we learn that it is wrong to lie and yet of all the sins of the tongue, lying is the most common.
5. In our society, it has gotten to the point that almost never take a person at their word.
6. How does God view lying?
7. What is a lie?
8. Is telling a half-truth a lie?
9. What is the difference between lying and deceiving?
10. Let’s explore these and other questions in regard to LIES AND DECEPTION.
Body
I. DEFINITIONS
A. Lie – An intentionally false statement.
1. This is what we usually think of when we think of a lie.
2. Intentionally making a false statement.
3. Oftentimes, we say things that are not true because we know no better. This is not, by definition, a lie.
a) We need to realize that, especially in things pertaining to God, we are going to be held responsible for knowing the truth so that we don’t say things that are untrue.
b) James 3:1. My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.
c) Ephesians 5:6. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
d) 1 John 4:1. Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
4. 1 Kings 13:18. He said to him, “I too am a prophet as you are, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the Lord, saying, ‘Bring him back with you to your house, that he may eat bread and drink water.’” (He was lying to him.)
B. Deceive – to cause someone to believe something that is not true.
1. Deceit – The action or practice of deceiving someone by concealing or misrepresenting the truth.
2. Deception is a broader term than lying.
a) All lies are deceit but you can deceive without telling a lie.
b) The end result is the same – namely, someone believes something to be true which is not true.
c) It is how you get there that is different.
d) For example:
(1) Cookie thief.
(2) “Is your dad home? …”
3. This is where many (But not all) politicians make their living.
a) They do not tell (Usually) outright lies. If so, they could get into serious trouble.
b) What they often do is misrepresent the truth.
(1) By taking quotes out of context.
(2) By twisting and distorting the truth.
(3) By only telling part of the truth and leaving out inconvenient truths.
4. This is also where many false religious teachers make their living.
a) These people handle the word of God deceitfully. 2 Corinthians 4:2. But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.
b) They quote scripture out of context.
(1) Exodus 21:23-25. But if any harm follows, then you shall give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.
(2) Matthew 5:38-42. “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.
c) They twist and distort the truth. 2 Peter 3:16. As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.
(1) The truth about the second coming of Jesus is distorted to teach the false doctrine of the rapture. 1 Thessalonians 4:17. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
(2) The truth about the foundation of the church is corrupted by the Catholic church. Matthew 16:18. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
d) They leave out inconvenient truths.
(1) They affirm the need for faith to be saved. Acts 16:30-31. And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
(2) They don’t mention the need for baptism. Mark 16:16. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
(3) Psalm 119:160. The entirety of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.
II. GOD’S VIEW OF LYING AND DECEIT
A. Note these passages:
1. Exodus 20:16. “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”
2. Proverbs 6:16-17. These six things the Lord hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood
3. Proverbs 12:22. Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, But those who deal truthfully are His delight.
4. Proverbs 13:5. A righteous man hates lying, But a wicked man is loathsome and comes to shame.
5. Proverbs 19:5. A false witness will not go unpunished, And he who speaks lies will not escape.
6. Proverbs 20:17. Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man, But afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel.
7. 1 Peter 2:1. Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking
8. Revelation 21:8. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
9. Revelation 21:27. But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
B. Lies and deceit are wrong because:
1. God said they are wrong. (See above)
2. They violate Matthew 7:12. Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
3. They ruin lives.
a) Proverbs 11:9. The hypocrite with his mouth destroys his neighbor, But through knowledge the righteous will be delivered.
b) Proverbs 26:18-19. Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death, Is the man who deceives his neighbor, And says, “I was only joking!”
4. They destroy relationships.
5. They hurt the church.
III. THE REMEDY FOR LYING
A. The remedy for lying is the same as the remedy for every other sin: REPENT.
B. Ephesians 4:17-25. This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another.
Conclusion
1. “It’s just a little white lie…”
2. There is no such thing.
3. Lies and deceit will cause us to be lost if we don’t repent.
4. 1 Peter 3:10. For “He who would love life And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips from speaking deceit.”
Delivered on: November 4, 2012. Streetsboro.
Exodus 18:21 Some Verses to Vote by – audio
Old - G E L N D J J R 1S 2S 1K 2K 1C 2C E N E J P P E S I J L E D H J A O J M N H Z H Z MNew - M M L J A R 1C 2C G E P C 1Th 2Th 1T 2T T P H J 1P 2P 1J 2J 3J J R - Topical - All - Archive
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Text: Exodus 18:21
Introduction
1. The time is almost here again.
2. It is time to select the man who is going to lead our country for the next four years.
3. We are blessed to live in a country where we have a say, in who our leaders are going to be.
4. This is not true everywhere in the world.
5. As Christians, we need to give serious thought to who it is that we think will steer this country in the direction which God wants.
6. Let me say before we start…
a. I am not a preacher for the Republican Party.
b. I am not a preacher for the Democratic Party.
c. I am not a preacher for the Independents.
d. I am a preacher for Christ.
7. Proverbs 14:34. Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a reproach to any people.
8. Psalm 119:172. My tongue shall speak of Your word, For all Your commandments are righteousness.
9. “God bless America…”
10. If we want God to continue to bless America, we had better show Him that we DESERVE to be blessed.
11. As a Christian, what do I need to look for in a candidate?
12. Here are some verses to vote by.
Body
I. EXODUS 18:21. Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.
A. Able men.
1. There are many moral people in the world who are not able to lead.
2. There are also many “able” leaders (men or women who are good at leading others) who are not fit to lead because they do not fear God and love truth.
3. History is full of “able” men who led their respective countries to disaster because of their own wickedness and immorality.
B. Hating Covetousness.
1. Proverbs 28:16. A ruler who lacks understanding is a great oppressor, But he who hates covetousness will prolong his days.
2. Proverbs 29:4. The king establishes the land by justice, But he who receives bribes overthrows it.
3. Our leader needs to serve for reasons other than money.
4. His decisions need to be based on what is right and not what will earn him the most donations.
5. In choosing a President, we need a man who puts morals over money and we, ourselves need to put morals over money.
a) Sadly, many base their vote solely on who they think will make them the wealthiest.
b) The economy is not the number one issue in an election for a Christian.
c) Proverbs 16:8. Better is a little with righteousness, Than vast revenues without justice.
d) Consider the wealth in Solomon’s day:
(1) 1 Kings 4:20. Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking and rejoicing.
(2) 1 Kings 4:24-25. For he had dominion over all the region on this side of the River from Tiphsah even to Gaza, namely over all the kings on this side of the River; and he had peace on every side all around him. And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, each man under his vine and his fig tree, from Dan as far as Beersheba, all the days of Solomon.
(3) 1 Kings 10:27. The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedar trees as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland.
(4) Yet during his reign, he and Israel became corrupt. As such, God removed him from office. 1 Kings 11:9-11. So the Lord became angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned from the Lord God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods; but he did not keep what the Lord had commanded. Therefore the Lord said to Solomon, “Because you have done this, and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant.
C. Fear God / Men of Truth.
1. Proverbs 16:12. It is an abomination for kings to commit wickedness, For a throne is established by righteousness.
2. Proverbs 29:12. If a ruler pays attention to lies, All his servants become wicked.
3. Every political party has had problems with liars.
4. We need men in office who care about the truth.
5. Especially THE TRUTH. John 17:17. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.
II. PROVERBS 6:16-17. These six things the Lord hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: 17 A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood,
A. We need a President who will fight to save innocent babies from murder.
B. Since Roe vs Wade, over 40,000,000 babies have been legally murdered in our country (see abortion).
C. Psalm 139:13-16. For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them.
1. If I were to place before you a woman who was 2 months pregnant, a woman who was 9 months pregnant, a woman with a 1 year old child, and a woman with a 2 year old… which one of those children are done developing? Obviously, none of them… Yet many try to justify abortion by saying that the baby in the womb is not fully developed.
2. God sees no difference between the babe in the womb and the babe out of the womb.
a) Luke 1:44. For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
b) Luke 2:12. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.
D. How can a Christian cast a vote for any person who vows to let the atrocity of abortion continue?
III. Matthew 19:4-5. And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’5 and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’?
A. We need to elect a man who respects God’s plan for the home.
B. Leviticus 18:22. You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination.
C. The Bible makes it clear that homosexuality is a sin and that marriage is a union between one man and one woman.
D. What has this country come to that a person cannot express his belief in God’s word in regard to design for the home without being branded a bigot or worse? (Chik-fil-a)
E. We must realize that the downfall of the home is a prelude to the downfall of a nation. What will our vote say?
Conclusion
1. When you walk into the voting booth in a few weeks remember…
a. It was not a Republican who died for you.
b. It was not a Democrat who died for you.
c. Neither a Republican or Democrat will be sitting on the Judgment Seat on the day of judgment.
2. Place your allegiance in Christ and not any certain political party.
3. As Christians, when there is a clear and discernible moral divide, vote on the basis of Christianity.
4. Do not4 worry about the letter that is after the name.
5. Illustration: If you could choose your neighbor…
6. I cannot vote for anyone who openly ridicules righteousness.
7. When I know God opposes something, I cannot vote for someone who blatantly promotes it.
Delivered on: October 28, 2012. Streetsboro.
Psalm 021:01-07 Blessed – Part 3
Old - G E L N D J J R 1S 2S 1K 2K 1C 2C E N E J P P E S I J L E D H J A O J M N H Z H Z MNew - M M L J A R 1C 2C G E P C 1Th 2Th 1T 2T T P H J 1P 2P 1J 2J 3J J R - Topical - All - Archive
Three Part Series: Part 1 – Part 2 – Part 3
Text: Psalm 21:1-7
Introduction
1. God wants His people to be happy.
2. As we have seen, the Psalms have much to say about happiness.
3. We have seen that we can be happy when our sins are forgiven / covered.
4. We have seen that we are blessed when we allow the Lord to teach us.
5. We have seen that we are blessed when we keep godly company.
6. Notice these passages:
a. Psalm 21:6-7. For You have made him most blessed forever; You have made him exceedingly glad with Your presence. For the king trusts in the Lord, And through the mercy of the Most High he shall not be moved.
b. Psalm 2:12. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, And you perish in the way, When His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.
c. Psalm 34:8. Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
d. Psalm 84:5. Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, Whose heart is set on pilgrimage.
e. Psalm 84:12. O Lord of hosts, Blessed is the man who trusts in You!
7. We will be blessed / happy when we put our trust in God.
8. What does it mean to trust in the Lord?
9. In order to answer that question, let’s look to for examples of such trust.
Body
I. ABRAHAM TRUSTED GOD.
A. In leaving his homeland.
Hebrews 11:8-10. By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
B. In having a child.
Genesis 15:5-6. Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.
C. In his willingness to sacrifice that child.
Genesis 22:7-8. But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” Then he said, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.” So the two of them went together.
II. JOSHUA AND CALEB TRUSTED GOD.
A. The Spies (Except for Joshua and Caleb) felt there was no possible way to take the land.
Numbers 13:26-33. Now they departed and came back to Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the children of Israel in the Wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh; they brought back word to them and to all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land. Then they told him, and said: “We went to the land where you sent us. It truly flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. Nevertheless the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large; moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there. The Amalekites dwell in the land of the South; the Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the mountains; and the Canaanites dwell by the sea and along the banks of the Jordan.” Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.” But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.” And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature. There we saw the giants (The descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.”
B. Their lack of trust in God infected others.
Numbers 14:1-5. So all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night. And all the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness! Why has the Lord brought us to this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and children should become victims? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?” So they said to one another, “Let us select a leader and return to Egypt.” Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel.
C. Joshua and Caleb tried to persuade them to trust in God.
Numbers 14:6-9. But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; and they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: “The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, ‘a land which flows with milk and honey.’ Only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Do not fear them.”
D. Another example of Caleb’s trust.
Joshua 14:10-13. And now, behold, the Lord has kept me alive, as He said, these forty-five years, ever since the Lord spoke this word to Moses while Israel wandered in the wilderness; and now, here I am this day, eighty-five years old. As yet I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war, both for going out and for coming in. Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the Lord spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how the Anakim were there, and that the cities were great and fortified. It may be that the Lord will be with me, and I shall be able to drive them out as the Lord said.” And Joshua blessed him, and gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh as an inheritance.
III. DAVID TRUSTED GOD.
A. A certain giant was defying God’s people.
1 Samuel 17:4-11. And a champion went out from the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, from Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. He had a bronze helmet on his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze. And he had bronze armor on his legs and a bronze javelin between his shoulders. Now the staff of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and his iron spearhead weighed six hundred shekels; and a shield-bearer went before him. Then he stood and cried out to the armies of Israel, and said to them, “Why have you come out to line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and you the servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us.” And the Philistine said, “I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.” When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.
B. Only David trusted God enough to face Goliath.
1 Samuel 17:45-47. Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.”
IV. IN ALL OF THESE CASES:
A. God’s people were challenged.
1. There were faced with problems that seemed too big or too difficult to handle.
a) Abraham was told to sacrifice a son.
b) Israel was told to take a land that was occupied by a people stronger than they.
c) David had to face a giant.
2. There were naysayers.
a) In the case of Joshua and Caleb, Israel was going to stone them. Numbers 14:10. And all the congregation said to stone them with stones. Now the glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle of meeting before all the children of Israel.
b) In David’s case:
(1) The people were dismayed and afraid. 1 Samuel 7:11. When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.
(2) His brothers derided him. 1 Samuel 17:28. Now Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab’s anger was aroused against David, and he said, “Why did you come down here? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and the insolence of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle.”
(3) Saul felt it was impossible. 1 Samuel 17:33. And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.”
(4) Goliath ridiculed him. 1 Samuel 17:43-44. So the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. And the Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!”
B. These people remembered God’s past faithfulness.
1. Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son because God had never failed him. Hebrews 11:17-19. By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, “In Isaac your seed shall be called,” concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.
2. Undoubtedly, Joshua and Caleb’s trust in God came from remembering God’s previous deliverance of the nation of Israel.
3. David’s confidence was based on previous experiences as well. 1 Samuel 17:34-37. But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it. Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.” Moreover David said, “The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!
C. They trusted in God to deliver them in their current distress.
1. Even though the odds were against them…
2. Even though worldly wisdom said there was no chance…
3. Even though everyone else thought they were crazy…
4. They trusted in God!
5. A side-note:
a) Why did David take five stones?
b) I believe the answer to this question is very important.
c) We are to trust God to deliver us and then we are to prepare to do our part.
d) For all David knew, God would let him miss a couple of times.
e) He did not tempt, or test, God by only taking one stone. Matthew 4:5-7. Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’” Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’”
f) He also had his staff just in case the stones did not work.
g) A lot of times, we trust God but we do not really know what His will is.
h) Therefore, like David, we have to prepare, do the best we can, and trust God to work it all out in the end.
V. WE ALL FACE CHALLENGES IN OUR WALK WITH GOD.
A. Do we trust in God? It’s on our money.
1. There will be naysayers.
2. We must remember God’s past faithfulness.
a) With us personally.
b) With others. Romans 15:4. For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.
3. We must trust God to help us.
a) Matthew 6:31-34. “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
b) Matthew 7:7-11. “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
B. Can God trust in us?
Conclusion
1. God wants you to be blessed.
2. We will be blessed by trusting in Him.
Delivered on: February 19, 2012. Streetsboro.
Psalm 040:01-04 Blessed – Part 2 – audio
Old - G E L N D J J R 1S 2S 1K 2K 1C 2C E N E J P P E S I J L E D H J A O J M N H Z H Z MNew - M M L J A R 1C 2C G E P C 1Th 2Th 1T 2T T P H J 1P 2P 1J 2J 3J J R - Topical - All - Archive
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Three Part Series: Part 1 – Part 2 – Part 3
Text: Psalm 40:1-4
Introduction
1. As Christians, we live in the world be we are not to be OF the world.
2. We will associate with people who are not Christians.
a. Family.
b. Friends.
c. Co-workers.
d. Fellow students.
3. The Bible warns us over and over again about the company we choose to keep.
4. Continuing our study on what the Psalms tell us about how to live blessed lives; notice what they say about the company that we keep.
Body
I. A PLETHORA OF PASSAGES.
A. Psalm 1:1-2. Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night.
B. Psalm 40:4. Blessed is that man who makes the Lord his trust, And does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.
C. Proverbs 1:10-15. My son, if sinners entice you, Do not consent. If they say, “Come with us, Let us lie in wait to shed blood; Let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause; Let us swallow them alive like Sheol, And whole, like those who go down to the Pit; We shall find all kinds of precious possessions, We shall fill our houses with spoil; Cast in your lot among us, Let us all have one purse” – My son, do not walk in the way with them, Keep your foot from their path;
D. Proverbs 4:14-15. Do not enter the path of the wicked, And do not walk in the way of evil. Avoid it, do not travel on it; Turn away from it and pass on.
E. Proverbs 13:20. He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will be destroyed.
F. Proverbs 14:7. Go from the presence of a foolish man, When you do not perceive in him the lips of knowledge.
G. Proverbs 16:29. A violent man entices his neighbor, And leads him in a way that is not good.
H. Proverbs 20:19. He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets; Therefore do not associate with one who flatters with his lips.
I. Proverbs 22:24-25. Make no friendship with an angry man, And with a furious man do not go, 25 Lest you learn his ways And set a snare for your soul.
J. Proverbs 23:6. Do not eat the bread of a miser, Nor desire his delicacies;
K. Proverbs 23:20. Do not mix with winebibbers, Or with gluttonous eaters of meat;
L. Proverbs 24:1-2. Do not be envious of evil men, Nor desire to be with them; 2 For their heart devises violence, And their lips talk of troublemaking.
M. Proverbs 28:7. Whoever keeps the law is a discerning son, But a companion of gluttons shames his father.
N. 1 Corinthians 15:33. Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.”
II. WHAT TYPES OF PEOPLE ARE MENTIONED IN THESE PASSAGES?
A. Ungodly / Wicked / Evil.
1. One who does that which is wrong.
2. A guilty person.
3. One who is immoral.
B. Sinners.
1. An offender.
2. One accounted guilty.
3. Sinful.
C. Scornful.
1. A scoffer.
2. One who mocks.
D. Proud.
1. Insolent.
2. Showing a rude and arrogant lack of respect.
a) For God.
b) For the church.
c) For those in authority.
E. Those who turn aside to lies.
1. This is referring to those who turn aside to idolatry.
2. Romans 1:24-25. Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
F. Foolish.
1. A dullard.
2. Simpleton.
3. Stupid fellow.
4. Arrogant one.
5. Biblically, a fool is one who does not hear and heed the word of God – Matthew 7:26
G. Violent.
1. Cruel.
2. Unjust.
3. Immoral.
H. Talebearers and Flatterers.
1. Talebearer – slanderer, informer.
2. Flatterer – one who flatters, deceives for personal gain.
I. Miser.
1. Disagreeable.
2. Unpleasant.
3. Malignant.
4. Bad.
J. Winebibbers and Gluttonous.
1. Winebibbers – drinkers of wine.
2. Gluttonous – vile, riotous eater.
III. IN REGARD TO THESE PEOPLE: HOW ARE WE TO INTERACT WITH THEM?
A. We are not to allow them to entice us.
1. They will try to get us to do that which we know is wrong.
2. We cannot allow them to cause us to sin against God.
B. We are not to enter their path or walk in their ways.
C. We are not to be companions with them.
1. To be a special friend.
2. To associate with someone.
D. We are not to associate with them.
1. To have fellowship with; to share.
2. Ephesians 5:11. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.
3. We are to “make no friendship with” them.
4. We are not to eat their bread.
5. We are not to mix with them.
E. We are not to envy them nor desire to be with them.
F. We are not suggesting that it is wrong to have friends who are not Christians.
1. All of us have family and friends who are not Christians.
2. What these passages are telling us is that we are not to be partners with them.
3. We are to show love and kindness to all – Galatians 6:10
4. But we are also to remain a separate people – 2 Corinthians 6:14-18
5. An important question: Given the opportunity to spend time with your brothers and sisters in Christ or to spend time with your worldly friends, whom do you choose?
6. Your answer to that question tells much about your spiritual maturity.
IV. WHY IS IT SUCH A BIG DEAL?
A. Why is God so concerned with whom we choose to spend our time?
B. Because God wants us to be happy and He knows us.
1. Psalm 106:34-35. They did not destroy the peoples, Concerning whom the Lord had commanded them, But they mingled with the Gentiles And learned their works;
2. He knows that if His people intermingle with the world, they will learn the works of the world.
3. 1 Corinthians 15:33. Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.”
4. Do we really want to put ourselves in this situation?
a) Wanting to “fit in” with friends who care nothing about what God wants from us.
b) This will eventually lead to unhappiness and discontent on our part.
c) God wants us to be blessed – happy.
5. Like any good parent, God wants to protect us from those things which will harm us.
a) Even though we may not see the danger.
b) Are we going to trust His judgment in this matter.
C. Unfortunately, we often act like stubborn children.
1. Stubbornly insisting that we know best.
2. Insisting that we can “handle” any temptations placed before us.
V. OUR JOB AS PARENTS.
A. We have to remember these things as parents.
1. We are responsible for bringing our children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
2. We are to look out for their spiritual well-being.
3. Part of that is making sure that they are not associating too closely with people who will pull them away from Christ.
B. We should instill in them at a very young age that when they grow up, they need to marry a Christian.
1. When one chooses a spouse, he is choosing to attach himself to a certain person for the rest of his life.
2. Steve Higginbotham kept records for 21 years at a particular congregation regarding mixed marriages.
a) 76 youth married non-Christians and 57 of them ended up leaving the faith (75%).
b) 24 of the 76 who married non-Christians ended up divorced (32%).
c) 4 of the 76 were able to convert their spouse (5%).
d) 13 youth married Christians and only 3 left the faith (23%).
e) 3 of the 13 who married Christians have divorced (23%).
Conclusion.
1. God wants us to be happy.
2. Associating too closely with sinful, worldly people will only bring trouble and heartache.
3. Let us have the attitude of David – Psalm 84:10
Delivered on: February 12, 2012. Streetsboro.
Psalm 001:01-03 Blessed – Part 1 – audio
Old - G E L N D J J R 1S 2S 1K 2K 1C 2C E N E J P P E S I J L E D H J A O J M N H Z H Z MNew - M M L J A R 1C 2C G E P C 1Th 2Th 1T 2T T P H J 1P 2P 1J 2J 3J J R - Topical - All - Archive
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Three Part Series: Part 1 – Part 2 – Part 3
Text: Psalm 1:1-3
Introduction
1. Happiness…
2. People are constantly in pursuit of it.
3. God desires us to be happy individuals as well.
4. As a matter of fact, He tells us how to accomplish it.
5. The word “blessed” means happy.
6. In the Hebrew, it comes from a word that literally means “to go, walk straight on; signifies to be happy.” In other words, the way in which we go (Live) shows what the end will be.
7. One can derive happiness from life by going the right way in this life.
8. Let us start a short series on what the book of Psalms tells us about how to live a blessed life.
I. BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOSE SINS ARE FORGIVEN.
Psalm 32:1-2. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered. 2 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit.
A. Do you realize the consequences of your iniquities?
1. They cause you to be separated from God – Isaiah 59:1-2
2. They cause you to be deserving of eternal separation from God – Romans 6:23
3. Unforgiven sin causes you to be an enemy of God – Matthew 12:30
4. Hebrews 10:28-31 – Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. And again, “The Lord will judge His people.” It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
B. Indeed, it ought to bring us great joy t4o know that our sins are forgiven and covered.
1. Forgiveness is described as our sins being covered.
a) In Old Testament times, when a debt was owed, it was carved into the face of a stone.
b) When the debt was paid in full, the engraving was filled in with wax.
c) Sin is a debt that we owe.
d) It is covered by the blood of Jesus.
2. Isaiah 1:18. “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the LORD, ” Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.
a) Here, sin is shown as a stain that is removed.
b) Hence, that stone of debt is not only filled in, it is scrubbed clean as if there never was a debt owed.
3. Isaiah 38:17. Indeed it was for my own peace That I had great bitterness; But You have lovingly delivered my soul from the pit of corruption, For You have cast all my sins behind Your back.
a) Sin is cast behind the back of God.
b) He throws that rock behind his back!
4. Isaiah 44:21-22. “Remember these, O Jacob, And Israel, for you are My servant; I have formed you, you are My servant; O Israel, you will not be forgotten by Me! I have blotted out, like a thick cloud, your transgressions, And like a cloud, your sins. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.”
a) Sins are blotted out like a thick cloud.
b) A thick cloud arises between God and stone which He threw behind His back.
5. Micah 7:18-19. Who is a God like You, Pardoning iniquity And passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights in mercy. He will again have compassion on us, And will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins Into the depths of the sea.
a) God casts our sins into the depths of the sea.
b) He throws that rock into the deepest part of the ocean; never to be seen again.
II. HOW DO WE ATTAIN THIS FORGIVENESS?? BLESSED ARE THE UNDEFILED IN THE WAY.
A. Psalm 119:1-2. Blessed are the undefiled in the way, Who walk in the law of the Lord! 2 Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, Who seek Him with the whole heart!
1. Those who are undefiled are blessed. The passage goes on to tell us how to be undefiled.
2. The undefiled are those who walk in the law of the Lord.
3. The undefiled are those who keep God’s testimonies.
4. The undefiled are the ones who seek God with their whole heart.
5. We attain forgiveness by seeking God with our WHOLE heart.
a) With an open mind.
b) With a ready mind (Ready to obey).
c) With a hunger – Matthew 5:6
6. Once we seek Him, we must be willing to walk in His Law and keep His testimonies.
a) We must be obedient.
b) Belief alone is not (And never has been) enough.
B. We must allow ourselves to be instructed by God – Psalm 94:12
1. Let’s emphasize here that it is God’s instruction that will lead to our salvation and ultimate happiness.
2. 1 Thessalonians 2:13. For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.
3. Only two possible sources of spiritual authority – Matthew 21:23-25
4. Man’s doctrine will not profit us.
III. TAKING DELIGHT IN GOD’S LAW BRINGS HAPPINESS!
A. Psalm 1:1-2. Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night.
1. Do you delight in the Law of God?
2. We delight in…
a) Watching sports…
b) Reading good books…
c) Gardening…
d) Exercising…
e) Reading the Bible???
B. Psalm 112:1. Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, Who delights greatly in His commandments.
1. Do you GREATLY delight in God’s law?
2. Whether or not you delight in God’s law depends largely on how you view it.
a) Do you simply view it as a rule book?
(1) Do this.
(2) Don’t do that.
(3) The Bible is a rule book, however, if this is the primary way you see the Bible, you are probably not going to take much pleasure in it.
b) A better way to view the Bible:
(1) A book in which I can see the very mind of my Creator.
(2) A book that reveals my Creator’s great love for me.
(3) A book in which I can learn how to better please my Creator and live in a right relationship with Him. Thus giving me great peace / happiness.
(4) A book that teaches me how to be a better:
(a) Neighbor.
(b) Friend.
(c) Spouse.
(d) Parent.
(e) Brother / Sister.
(5) A book that gives me hope.
(6) Viewing the Bible in these ways will help me to DELIGHT in it.
Delivered on: February 5, 2012. Streetsboro.
Hope – audio
Old - G E L N D J J R 1S 2S 1K 2K 1C 2C E N E J P P E S I J L E D H J A O J M N H Z H Z MNew - M M L J A R 1C 2C G E P C 1Th 2Th 1T 2T T P H J 1P 2P 1J 2J 3J J R - Topical - All - Archive
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
As Christians, for what do we hope?
Salvation
1 Thessalonians 5:8; Titus 3:7
Jesus’ Return
Titus 2:13; 1 John 3:2‐3
Resurrection
Acts 23:6
Door
Hosea 2:15; Joshua 6:20; Joshua 7:2-9; Joshua 7:10-11; Joshua 7:25-27; Joshua 8:24; Romans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 10:13
Anchor
Hebrews 6:18-19; 1 John 3:2-3; Colossians 1:3-5; Titus 2:11-13; 2 Corinthians 3:12
Helmet
1 Thessalonians 5:8; Romans 8:23-25
As Christians, our hope is in Christ
1 Timothy 1:1; 1 Peter 1:3
Without Christ, there is no hope
Ephesians 2:12; 1 Thessalonians 4:13
Delivered on: July 29, 2012. Streetsboro.
1 Timothy 4:1-5 The Great Departure – audio
Old - G E L N D J J R 1S 2S 1K 2K 1C 2C E N E J P P E S I J L E D H J A O J M N H Z H Z MNew - M M L J A R 1C 2C G E P C 1Th 2Th 1T 2T T P H J 1P 2P 1J 2J 3J J R - Topical - All - Archive
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Text: 1 Timothy 4:1-5
I. THE DEPARTURE PREDICTED.
1 Timothy 4:1-2. Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron
A. The first word of verse 1, “Now” tells us that this thought is connected to the previous thought.
1. Paul had just finished discussing the “mystery of godliness.”
2. The mystery of godliness is just another term for God’s scheme of redemption.
B. Now Paul says that the Spirit has predicted that some would depart from the faith.
1. “The Spirit expressly says…”
a) This was a revelation from God Himself.
b) John 16:13. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.
c) Galatians 1:11-12. But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ.
d) 1 Thessalonians 2:13. For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.
2. “In the latter times…“
a) At some point in the future.
b) As we are going to see, this departure has already occurred.
3. “Some will depart from the faith…“
a) By implication, we see that it is POSSIBLE to depart from the faith.
b) We have numerous examples of individuals departing from the faith. 1 Timothy 1:19-20. Having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck, of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.
c) This prediction of “some” departing from the faith has to be referring to more than just some individuals.
d) It is talking about a “movement” or a “Great departure” from the faith.
C. The cause of the departure…
1. Some would give heed to deceiving spirits.
a) Not talking about literal spirits.
b) These “spirits” … “forbid” and “command” – we are talking about religious leaders.
c) They speak lies in hypocrisy.
(1) Some religious leaders would (And still do) speak lies.
(2) Acts 20:29-30. For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.
d) They have their conscience seared.
(1) Just as scar tissue from a burn loses it’s feeling, their conscience no longer functions as a reliable guide for them.
(2) Their wickedness would not bother them.
(3) We still have people like this in the world today.
2. The teachings of these deceiving spirits are called “doctrines of demons.”
a) Doctrine – teaching.
b) Some teaching is good and healthy. 1 Timothy 4:6. If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed.
c) Some will cause you to lose your salvation.
II. THE DEPARTURE DEPICTED.
1 Timothy 4:3a. Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods…
A. The Spirit gives two identifying characteristics of this great departure.
1. From these two identifying characteristics, we can pinpoint when this departure took place.
2. Quite frankly, the answer was shocking when I first learned it.
B. These deceiving spirits would forbid to marry.
1. Some have come to the conclusion that to remain unmarried is a holier life.
2. In part, this is from a misapplication of Paul’s teaching in 1 Corinthians 7.
a) 1 Corinthians 7:1. Now concerning the things of which you wrote to me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.
b) 1 Corinthians 7:8. But I say to the unmarried and to the widows: It is good for them if they remain even as I am
c) 1 Corinthians 7:32-33. But I want you to be without care. He who is unmarried cares for the things of the Lord—how he may please the Lord. But he who is married cares about the things of the world—how he may please his wife.
3. As a result, for example, the Catholic church has, for hundreds of years, forbidden priests to marry.
a) Council of Elvira (C. 305) (Canon 33): It is decided that marriage be altogether prohibited to bishops, priests, and deacons, or to all clerics placed in the ministry, and that they keep away from their wives and not beget children; whoever does this, shall be deprived of the honor of the clerical office.
b) Council of Carthage (390) (Canon 3): It is fitting that the holy bishops and priests of God as well as the Levites, i.e. those who are in the service of the divine sacraments, observe perfect continence, so that they may obtain in all simplicity what they are asking from God; what the Apostles taught and what antiquity itself observed, let us also endeavour to keep… It pleases us all that bishop, priest and deacon, guardians of purity, abstain from conjugal intercourse with their wives, so that those who serve at the altar may keep a perfect chastity.
C. The deceiving spirits would command to abstain from certain foods.
1. Again, the Catholic church has done this throughout much of its history.
2. The new Code of Canon Law brought out in 1983 says about the matter: Canon 1251 Abstinence from meat, or from some other food as determined by the Episcopal Conference, is to be observed on all Fridays, unless a solemnity should fall on a Friday. Abstinence and fasting are to be observed on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. http://www.catholic-pages.com/life/fridaymeat.asp
3. The current regulations concerning Lenten fasting and abstinence for Roman Catholics in the United States generally are as follows.
a) Abstinence from all meat is to be observed by all Roman Catholics 14 years old and older on Ash Wednesday, on all Fridays of Lent, and on Good Friday (Which is not part of Lent, but rather part of the three day Paschal Triduum).
b) Fasting is to be observed on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday by all Roman Catholics who are 18 years of age but not yet 59. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fasting_and_abstinence_in_the_Roman_Catholic_Church
III. THE DEPARTURE CONTRADICTED.
1 Timothy 4:3b-5. …which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; 5 for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
A. First of all, the scriptures teach that marriage is a good thing.
1. It was instituted by God Himself. Genesis 2:24. Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
2. Hebrews 13:4. Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.
3. Furthermore, the Scriptures not only say that marriage is a good thing but they say that marriage is a requirement for one who would serve as a bishop. 1 Timothy 3:2. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach
4. What about 1 Corinthians 7?
a) Paul was giving specific instructions to Christians in Corinth who were undergoing some kind of distress. 1 Corinthians 7:26. I suppose therefore that this is good because of the present distress—that it is good for a man to remain as he is:
b) His instructions were not meant for all Christians of all times.
c) Notice that, even in these instructions, he made it clear that getting married would not be a sin.
(1) 1 Corinthians 7:2. Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.
(2) 1 Corinthians 7:8-9. But I say to the unmarried and to the widows: It is good for them if they remain even as I am; but if they cannot exercise self-control, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
(3) 1 Corinthians 7:28. But even if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. Nevertheless such will have trouble in the flesh, but I would spare you.
d) The Catholic church takes these passages and argues that “clergy” must not marry; whereas, Paul was not writing to “clergy” but to all the saints in Corinth.
e) In a nutshell, he is saying, “It is better not to marry because of this present distress. However, if you marry you have not sinned; but be aware that your life will be more difficult as a married Christian.”
f) To take these passages and use them to enforce mandatory celibacy is a horrible distortion of the meaning of Paul’s words.
B. Second, as to the commanding to abstain from eating certain foods…
1. Paul says that every creature is good and is to be received with thanksgiving.
2. Any type of food is sanctified with God’s word and prayer.
3. Fasting, in the Scriptures, is always a voluntary and very personal thing.
4. Nowhere in Scriptures is anyone ever commanded to fast.
5. To command such of anyone is sin.
Delivered on: October 14, 2012. Streetsboro.
Acts 18:24-28 Criticism, Give and Take – audio
Old - G E L N D J J R 1S 2S 1K 2K 1C 2C E N E J P P E S I J L E D H J A O J M N H Z H Z MNew - M M L J A R 1C 2C G E P C 1Th 2Th 1T 2T T P H J 1P 2P 1J 2J 3J J R - Topical - All - Archive
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Text: Acts 18:24-28
Introduction
1. Criticize – To consider the merits and demerits of and judge accordingly; To find fault with; to point out the faults of.
2. I think that if we are honest, we will admit that none of us like to be criticized.
3. If someone criticizes us, it means that they have found, or at least think they have found, a fault in us.
4. None of us like to admit that we have faults.
5. However, regardless of whether we like it or not, we will all face criticism at some point in our lives.
6. Also, at some point, we will find ourselves being the ones who have to do the criticizing.
7. Much heartache and strife has resulted from people either not receiving criticism properly or not giving it properly.
8. Today, let’s think about Criticism – Give and Take.
Body
I. GIVE.
Acts 18:24-26. Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John. So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.
A. In order to give criticism in a godly manner, we must have the right attitude.
1. Remember our purpose: To help people to draw closer to God so that they will ultimately be saved.
2. Offer constructive criticism only.
3. Constructive – Serving a useful purpose; tending to build up.
a) If it is not going to help the person in some way, keep your mouth shut.
b) Simply telling someone how bad they are without offering them advice or help in some way, will do them no good.
4. Put yourself in the shoes of the one you are about to criticize and ask, “If I were in his shoes, how would I want to hear this?” Matthew 7:12. Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
B. We must offer criticism in the right way.
1. Aquila and Priscilla took Apollos aside to talk to him.
a) When someone is confronted in front of others he often feels the need to stubbornly defend himself even if he knows that he is wrong, for pride’s sake.
b) By taking Apollos aside, Aquila and Priscilla were able to talk to him in a much more effective way.
2. Point out the good as well as the bad.
a) Acts 17:22. Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious”
b) Jesus did it in His letters to the seven churches:
(1) Ephesus: Revelation 2:4. “Nevertheless, I have this against you…“
(2) Pergamos: Revelation 2:14. “But I have a few things against you…“
(3) Thyatira: Revelation 2:20. “Nevertheless, I have a few things against you…“
(4) Sardis: Revelation 3:1. “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.”
3. Do it with tears. 2 Corinthians 2:3-4. And I wrote this very thing to you, lest, when I came, I should have sorrow over those from whom I ought to have joy, having confidence in you all that my joy is the joy of you all. For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you, with many tears, not that you should be grieved, but that you might know the love which I have so abundantly for you.
II. TAKE.
A. People respond to criticism in different ways.
1. Anger.
a) This is often the first reaction.
b) Sometimes we react with anger before we really stop to think.
c) Give your first thought a second look.
d) Anger usually comes about from pride. We feel insulted when we are criticized.
2. Feel sorry for themselves.
a) Some view criticism as an attack. (Sometimes it may be.)
b) Rather than using the criticism to better themselves, they throw a pity party.
3. Criticize the critic.
a) People often try to rationalize the criticism away by saying, “Well, that person is always criticizing…”
b) This is obviously not a good response.
c) Regardless of who does the criticism, we must look at the criticism for what it is.
4. Become blind to our own self. Harden our hearts.
a) People will often make excuses in order to justify their selves.
b) They often just brush off criticism and simply do not care.
c) Matthew 13:15. For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.
5. Receive it gracefully. Acts 18:26-28. So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. And when he desired to cross to Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him; and when he arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace; for he vigorously refuted the Jews publicly, showing from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ.
a) Don’t get angry.
b) Don’t feel sorry for yourself.
c) Don’t criticize the critic.
d) Don’t brush it off.
e) Thank the critic (Whether their criticism is valid or not).
f) If the criticism is valid, swallow your pride and use it to improve yourself.
g) If the criticism is invalid it may be necessary to arrange a time in private to talk to the individual who made the criticism and explain the matter to them.
B. Jesus and Criticism.
1. Jesus is the only Person who ever lived who can truthfully say that He deserved no criticism.
a) Yet His enemies criticized Him.
b) His friends sometimes criticized Him. Matthew 26:8-9. But when His disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? For this fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to the poor.”
c) He was criticized by His siblings. John 7:3-5. His brothers therefore said to Him, “Depart from here and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works that You are doing. For no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to be known openly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world.” For even His brothers did not believe in Him.
d) He was criticized by people who were ignorant. John 7:41-42. Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Will the Christ come out of Galilee? Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem, where David was?”
e) He was criticized by people who should have known better. John 9:28-29. Then they reviled him and said, “You are His disciple, but we are Moses’ disciples. We know that God spoke to Moses; as for this fellow, we do not know where He is from.”
2. Sometimes He addressed criticism with truth. John 8:48-49. Then the Jews answered and said to Him, “Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?” Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me.
3. Sometimes He remains silent. (Hard to know when to keep our mouth shut.)
(1) Jesus knew the heart of the individual speaking; so He knew whether an answer would serve any good purpose.
(2) Matthew 26:62-64. And the high priest arose and said to Him, “Do You answer nothing? What is it these men testify against You?” But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest answered and said to Him, “I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!” 64 Jesus said to him, “It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
(3) Proverbs 26:4-5. Do not answer a fool according to his folly, Lest you also be like him. Answer a fool according to his folly, Lest he be wise in his own eyes.
(4) We must know the critic. Sometimes an answer will be necessary and sometimes not.
C. Remember what is really important.
1. Am I so interested in being right that I am not worried about doing right?
2. My objective is to bring people closer to Christ. My example and how I handle criticism will have an effect on them.
3. Many times we can win the argument but lose the soul.
Conclusion.
1. At some point, all of us will have to give and take criticism.
2. How are we going to give it?
3. How are we going to take it?
4. The answer to those two questions will tell a lot about your character.
Delivered on: May 1, 2011. Streetsboro.
Questions and Answers 2012-09-30 – audio
Old - G E L N D J J R 1S 2S 1K 2K 1C 2C E N E J P P E S I J L E D H J A O J M N H Z H Z MNew - M M L J A R 1C 2C G E P C 1Th 2Th 1T 2T T P H J 1P 2P 1J 2J 3J J R - Topical - All - Archive
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
I. Question One – WHY DID GOD ALLOW CONCUBINES IN THE OLD TESTAMENT? WHY CAN’T WE HAVE MORE THAN ONE WIFE?
A. As to the first question… Why did God allow concubines?
1. God allows us to make our own decisions.
2. That does not mean that He approves of those decisions.
3. To my knowledge, there is no hint anywhere in the Scriptures that God approved of polygamy.
4. The only argument that could be made to suggest that God approved of polygamy would be that so many men whom are presented as being righteous had multiple wives and God never openly rebuked them.
a) That, however, does not prove that God approved of polygamy.
b) These men undoubtedly had other sin in their lives where there is no account of God openly rebuking them.
c) For example… Noah’s drunkenness after the flood.
5. Perhaps also, this is a sin that God “overlooked” because of the way that women were treated in that day. Acts 17:30. Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent.
B. Why can’t we have more than one wife today?
1. Matthew 19:4-6. And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”
a) Male and female. Not male and females.
b) Man shall be joined to his wife. Not, “Man shall be joined to his wives.”
c) Two shall become one flesh. Not three, four, five, 701 shall become one flesh.
2. Romans 7:3. So then if, while her husband lives, she marries another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law, so that she is no adulteress, though she has married another man.
a) This passage tells us that a woman who marries another man while her previous husband is still alive is to be called an adulteress.
b) Would not the same be true for the husband marrying another wife?
c) Absolutely!
II. Question Two – CAN WE VISIT OTHER CHURCHES OF CHRIST? IS THIS GOOD OR BAD?
A. There is nothing wrong with visiting other churches of Christ.
1. It can be a very good thing.
2. Some congregations are struggling and appreciate the encouragement.
3. It doesn’t have be a Sunday service.
a) Sings.
b) Gospel Meetings.
B. A few words of caution…
1. A “Church of Christ” sign out front does not necessarily mean that a congregation is sound.
a) Sometimes, when we are travelling, we may go visit a place because it calls itself a church of Christ but then be utterly shocked when we get into the service.
b) It is wise to do a little research about a congregation if you are not sure where they stand.
c) People do that all the time with us. I receive calls regularly from members of the church who are going to be coming to the area and are looking for a place to worship.
2. Don’t forget that your home congregation needs you too.
a) Some people just like to wander around to various congregations and never really settle down.
b) There are many advantages to having a home congregation.
(1) An eldership to look out for you. (Unfortunately, this is why some like to wander around. They don’t want an eldership looking out for them.)
(2) Stronger relationships with brethren who know you and know your needs.
(3) More opportunities for involvement.
c) Those who are constantly (weekly) visiting other congregations are missing out on many of the blessings of having a home congregation.
III. Question Three – IF SOMEONE COMES TO CHURCH BUT THEIR HEART ISN’T IN IT… WHAT TO DO TO CHANGE THIS ACTION.
A. What do we mean by “their heart isn’t in it” ???
1. Do we mean that their emotions are not stirred?
2. Do we mean that they don’t get anything out of worship?
3. Do we mean that they don’t want to be there?
4. I am going to assume, for this question, that it is a combination of all three of these things.
B. If the someone is yourself…
1. We are all human.
2. There are going to be days when it is all we can do to make it to services.
a) Sickness.
b) Emotional issues.
c) Etc.
d) During such times, we might not even remember the topic of the sermon or what songs were sung.
e) It is all we can do to be present.
3. But what if this is a weekly occurrence?
a) This has to be a lack of focus!
b) First of all – prepare for services by:
(1) Remember what you are about to do and why.
(a) You are about to worship (pay your respects to) your Creator, Sustainer, and Savior!
(b) You do this because you are grateful for what God has done for you.
(c) If we can’t get our heart into this then there is something wrong with us! Psalm 122:1. I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go into the house of the Lord.”
(d) (I see this every week from the pulpit.)
(2) Getting a good night’s sleep.
(3) Getting up early enough to get to services on time without rushing around frantically.
c) Focus in on the acts of worship.
(1) Listen to the songs we sing. Colossians 3:16. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
(2) Consider the death of Christ during the Communion service.
(3) Pay attention to the sermon which is God speaking to you through His word.
(4) Pray along with the one leading the prayer.
(5) Give cheerfully thinking of all that God has given to you.
4. Don’t quit coming! We begin to appreciate worship more as we mature.
C. If the someone is someone else…
1. We cannot make someone else actively participate in worship.
2. We cannot make someone else appreciate what Jesus did for them.
3. What we can do:
a) If we are talking about our children…
(1) Educate them by continuing to bring them to services.
(2) Teach them at home.
(3) Show them that we love the Lord.
(4) If your child sees you missing worship for just any reason, what are they going to think about the importance of worship?
b) If we are talking about a spouse…
(1) Again, try to help them realize the importance and purpose of worship.
(2) Set the right example. 1 Peter 3:1-2. Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives, when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear.
c) If we are talking about anyone else. – Same as above.
IV. WHAT IS THE “JIHAD?” WHO IS ALLAH?
A. Both of these terms are related to the religion of Islam.
1. Islam – to surrender to the will of Allah.
2. Muslim – One who surrenders.
B. Allah.
1. It is an Arabic word that means “the God.”
2. Muslims claim that this is the God of the Bible.
3. However, their view of Allah and the God of the Bible are very different.
a) They don’t view God as a Father. Yet Jesus did. Matthew 6:9. In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.
b) There is no grace in Islam. Salvation is solely by works. Ephesians 2:8-9. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.
c) They believe that God is arbitrary and causes both good and evil. “Allah leads astray whom he pleases and guides whom he pleases and no one knows the host of the Lord save himself. And every man’s destiny have we fastened upon his neck.”
C. Jihad.
1. The most basic definition is – “struggle.”
2. Muslims believe in three types of Jihad.
a) The believer’s internal struggle to serve Allah.
b) The struggle to build a good Muslim society.
c) Holy War – the struggle to defend Islam, with force if necessary.
3. Muslims argue that the Koran only authorizes Holy War in a defensive fashion.
4. Unfortunately, some Muslims see the traditions of the West and Christianity as a clear threat to Islam and consider any attack they make to be defensive in nature.
5. Surah 9:29. And Fight those who have not faith in God, nor in the Hereafter, and (who) forbid not what God and His Prophet have forbidden and (who) are not committed to the religion of truth, of those who have been brought the Book, until they pay tribute by hand, and they are the low.
V. WHO WAS THE OLDEST PERSON IN THE BIBLE?
A. Methuselah.
B. Genesis 5:27. So all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred and sixty-nine years; and he died.
Delivered on: September 30, 2012. Streetsboro.
Questions and Answers 2012-07-29 – audio
Old - G E L N D J J R 1S 2S 1K 2K 1C 2C E N E J P P E S I J L E D H J A O J M N H Z H Z MNew - M M L J A R 1C 2C G E P C 1Th 2Th 1T 2T T P H J 1P 2P 1J 2J 3J J R - Topical - All - Archive
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
I. Question One – Is it ok to wear shorts “to church”?
A. To a large extent, it is a matter of preference.
1. The way members dress is often determined by climate and culture.
2. In the churches I attended in Tennessee, you would NEVER see someone wear shorts to worship.
3. However, in other places (I am told Florida is one case) shorts are common.
4. At church camp, I attended worship services in shorts because of the heat.
B. We need to be modest.
1. We looked at this in detail just recently.
2. No matter where we are (In worship or out) we need to be modest.
3. Short shorts are not modest.
4. A good guideline would be knee length.
C. We need to be respectful.
1. We must show respect toward God.
a) When we come to worship we are coming to pay homage to our Creator and Savior.
b) We ought to show proper respect.
c) Can we do that in shorts?
(1) Some would say, “No.”
(2) Some would say, “Sure.”
d) Other than modesty and respect, no dress code is given.
2. We must show respect toward our brethren.
a) Some brethren may have a problem with shorts.
b) Especially for men who may be leading in part of the service… shorts could be distracting.
(1) Many of you know that at our church picnics I always wear pants when I preach.
(2) At church camp, if I am speaking or leading in the service in some other way, I wear pants.
c) When I was younger, attending a small church in Gahanna, I use to wear shorts even when leading in the service. No one ever said a word to me about it but one day, at a men’s business meeting, I asked if my shorts were appropriate and one of the men spoke up and said that he didn’t like it. I never have worn shorts to service since.
d) 1 Corinthians 8:13. Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.
II. Question Two – What about other non-denominations?
A. This question was put into the box after the sermon a couple of weeks ago on the exclusivity of the church.
1. In that sermon we noticed that the “Church of Christ” is the church that we read about in the Bible and that it is NOT made up of various worldly denominations.
2. We noticed six identifying marks of the church of the Bible.
a) Authority.
b) Music.
c) One church.
d) Organization.
e) Titles.
f) Baptism.
B. The question is asking if “non-denominational” churches are the church of Christ.
1. The answer to that is that there are so many different non-denominational groups out there that you have to look at each one individually.
2. I chose one “non-denominational” church from the area and looked at their website.
3. It is the “Church in Aurora.”
4. Here is what I found.
a) Authority – believe that the Holy Spirit is still leading in a miraculous way and is even responsible for the division that exists among various religious bodies.
b) Organization – They have a Senior Pastor instead of a scriptural plurality of pastors.
(1) A picture of their Pastor shows him in his full ceremonial attire.
(2) “Representing Community Churches he is: a voting delegate to the National Council of Churches, a Judicatory Executive with the Ohio Council of Churches and the Treasurer for the Aurora Clergy Association.”
(3) Under “Governing Body” it says this. “Voting membership of the Church Board shall include the Moderator, Associate Moderator, Clerk, and Treasurer; one member from each of the Elders, Trustees, Stewardship Directors, Christian Education Committee, Fellowship Committee, Membership Committee, Mission Directors, Endowment Fund Directors, and Women’s Guild; and two members from Deacons, one man and one woman. The Associate Treasurer shall vote in the absence of the Treasurer. Each committee shall select its representative(S) to the Board.”
(4) Looking at a list of their elders, three women are listed.
c) Music.
(1) They have instrumental music.
(2) They have choirs.
d) Baptism is “in the mode desired” by the one being baptized. In other words, it could be sprinkling or pouring.
e) Communion is to be taken when the leadership decides to take it.
C. It is obvious, that just because a church calls itself non-denominational… that does not mean that it is the church we read about in the Bible.
III. Question Three – Are there really three levels of hell?
A. The simple answer to this question is, “No.”
B. I’m not sure where the number “3” comes from.
C. Dante’s Inferno, a part of a 14th century epic poem was written by Dante Alighieri.
1. In this poem, Dante is led through on a journey through Hell by a Roman poet named Virgil.
2. In it, there is said to be nine levels of hell.
3. Basically, the lower you go, the worse it gets; with the Devil being at the center of the earth in the 9th level.
D. The Bible does not speak of levels of hell but it does hint at levels of punishment.
1. Luke 12:47-48. And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.
2. 2 Peter 2:20-21. For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them.
IV. Question Four – If Jesus knew that Judas Iscariot would betray Him, why did He choose Him as an apostle in the first place?
A. Some things we are just not told – Deuteronomy 29:29
B. However, let me suggest two possibilities…
1. In order to be tempted in all points like as we are, He had to be betrayed by a friend – Hebrews 4:15
2. Ultimately, He came to earth to be put to death. Judas’ betrayal was part of that plan.
a) Don’t forget… Jesus’ betrayal was prophesied beforehand.
b) Psalm 41:9. Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted, Who ate my bread, Has lifted up his heel against me.
c) John 13:18. “I do not speak concerning all of you. I know whom I have chosen; but that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘He who eats bread with Me has lifted up his heel against Me.’
V. Question Five – Can you go to heaven and in heaven can you go to hell?
(Not Discussed)
VI. Question Six – “Psalm 139:16. God knows our number of days before there was any… How can we possibly say – when a young person dies, or in fact anyone dies, that it is not God’s will?”
A. Psalm 139:13-16.
For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them.
B. Definitions.
1. Will – the thing that one desires or ordains.
2. Ordain – to order or decree something officially.
C. Two important questions.
1. Does foreknowledge of an event mean that one approves of that event?
2. Does the decision to not intervene to prevent an event mean that one approves of that event?
D. God’s foreknowledge of events does not mean that He desires it or has ordered it.
1. He foreknew that Adam and Eve would sin. 1 Peter 1:20. He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you
2. His will in this case was for them to be obedient and stay in fellowship with Him.
3. 2 Peter 3:9. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
4. 1 Timothy 2:4. Who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth
E. Does God’s failure to intervene mean that He desires that particular event to happen?
1. We need to understand God’s permissive will.
2. God made the decision before He ever created man that He would allow man the freedom to choose for Himself.
3. As a result, sin came into the world and death because of sin.
4. Sin and death are not God’s will.
5. To some extent, we even do this with our own children.
6. We step aside and allow them to do things that we know they are going to regret.
7. A good example of this is the story of Joseph.
a) Ultimately, everything that happened in Joseph’s life fulfilled God’s purpose.
b) But that doesn’t mean that God approved of the way that Joseph’s brothers treated him.
c) Neither did God approve of Potiphar’s wife’s deception.
d) However, God was able to use these bad things to bring about something good.
Delivered on: July 29, 2012. Streetsboro.
Christian “4-H” – powerpoint – audio
Old - G E L N D J J R 1S 2S 1K 2K 1C 2C E N E J P P E S I J L E D H J A O J M N H Z H Z MNew - M M L J A R 1C 2C G E P C 1Th 2Th 1T 2T T P H J 1P 2P 1J 2J 3J J R - Topical - All - Archive
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Head – Christianity is a Religion of the Mind – God Expects Us to Think Clearly
- Isaiah 1:18
- Acts 18:28
- Matthew 11:3-5
- 1 Peter 3:15
- Acts 17:11
- 1 Thessalonians 5:21
- John 20:30-31
- 2 Peter 2:20
Heart – Christianity is a Religion of the Heart – God Wants Us to Connect Emotionally
- 2 Corinthians 5:14-15
- John 3:16
- 1 John 4:19
- Romans 6:17
- John 4:24
Hands – Christianity is a Religion of the Service – God Wants Us to Work Actively
- James 1:27
- Galatians 5:13
- Mark 10:43-45
- Matthew 25:34-40
Health – Christianity is a Religion of the Balance – To be a Healthy Christian, One Must Have Balance
- 1 Corinthians 8:1
- James 2:19-20
- 1 Corinthians 13:2
- 1 John 3:18
- John 14:15
- 1 Corinthians 13:3
- Colossians 3:17
- Matthew 7:21-23
- Romans 10:1-3
Delivered on: September 23, 2012. Streetsboro.
Requirements for Baptism – audio
Old - G E L N D J J R 1S 2S 1K 2K 1C 2C E N E J P P E S I J L E D H J A O J M N H Z H Z MNew - M M L J A R 1C 2C G E P C 1Th 2Th 1T 2T T P H J 1P 2P 1J 2J 3J J R - Topical - All - Archive
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Introduction
1. One of the Devil’s greatest tools is misinformation.
2. After all, he is the Father of lies – John 8:44
3. If he can convince people that they are saved when they really are not, then he has won.
4. One way that he accomplishes this is by “muddying” the waters in regard to baptism.
5. Today, let us notice some of the requirements for Scriptural baptism.
6. Before we get started, let me say that I have no one in mind in delivering this lesson.
7. Looking back at my life, I wish I had heard a sermon like this.
Body
I. BELIEF IS REQUIRED.
A. Mark 16:15-16 – And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.”
1. Jesus puts belief on an equal footing with baptism.
2. That which we are to believe is the gospel.
3. The gospel is the story of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus – Romans 15:1-4
B. How does the devil use this to lead people astray?
1. Put simply, many are baptized who are not capable of believing.
2. We are talking about infant baptism.
3. These children grow up hearing about the necessity of baptism and feel that they are ok.
4. Without belief, baptism is meaningless.
C. Nowhere in the Scriptures do we have an example of infant baptism.
1. No infants are mentioned in Lydia’s household – Acts 16:15
2. No infants in the jailer’s house were baptized – Acts 16:33-34
II. REPENTANCE IS REQUIRED.
A. Acts 2:38 – Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
1. Speaking to people who had come to believe the gospel, Peter told them that they needed to repent and be baptized.
2. Peter puts repentance on an equal footing with baptism.
B. But what is repentance?
1. It is a change of behavior based upon a change of heart – 2 Corinthians 7:10
2. A wonderful example of repentance is given in Matthew 21:28-31.
C. Baptism without repentance does us no good.
1. There must be a mental decision on a person’s part to turn and serve God.
2. Granted… a new Christian does not know everything there is to know when he or she is baptized.
3. There are often things they are doing that they don’t even realize are sin.
4. But when God’s word convicts them of a sin in their life, they have already made the mental decision to turn from it.
III. PROPER UNDERSTANDING IS REQUIRED.
A. Acts 19:1-5
And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.” And he said to them, “Into what then were you baptized?” So they said, “Into John’s baptism.” Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.” When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. – Acts 19:1-5
1. These individuals had been baptized.
2. Yet for some reason, they felt compelled to be immersed again.
3. What was that reason?
4. They had been taught incorrectly.
a) They had been taught by Apollos who knew only the baptism of John when he had passed through that area.
b) He had (At that point) not heard of Christ’s baptism.
B. How does the devil use this tool today?
1. Many, many people have been baptized but have been taught incorrectly.
2. I was brought up in the Church of Christ in Christian Union.
a) I was taught that baptism was an outward sign of an inward grace.
b) I was taught that baptism was simply a means of showing the world that I was already a Christian.
3. The Baptist church teaches that one is saved and then baptized to become a member of the Baptist church.
a) “Baptism is not essential to salvation for our churches utterly repudiate the dogma of baptismal regeneration”; but it is essential to obedience, since Christ commanded it. It is also essential to membership in the church which is his body” – Standard Manual for Baptist Churches. Pg.21.
b) Hence, it is easier to get to heaven than it is to get into the Baptist church.
c) Many Baptists don’t even realize that this is what their church teaches.
d) Yet many of these same Baptists convince their selves that (Despite being a member of a church that teaches otherwise) they were baptized for the right reason.
C. You cannot be taught incorrectly about baptism and be baptized correctly.
IV. IMMERSION IS REQUIRED.
A. Some Greek Definitions.
1. Baptidzo.
a) Thayer: To dip repeatedly, to immerse, to submerge.
b) Vines: Consisting of the process of immersion. To dip. Was used among the Greeks to signify the dyeing of a garment, or the drawing of water by dipping a vessel into another, etc.
c) Therefore, we see that baptism is an immersion.
d) The New Testament describes it as a burial.
(1) Colossians 2:12 – Buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.
(2) Romans 6:4 – Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
2. Sprinkling is not baptism.
a) Greek as a word that means sprinkle.
b) Rhantizo : to sprinkle.
c) Hebrews 9:19-21 – For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which God has commanded you.” Then likewise he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry.
d) If God wanted us to be sprinkled, He could have used this word.
3. Pouring is not baptism.
a) Greek has a word that means to pour.
b) Eckchuno : To pour forth.
c) Acts 2:17 – And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams.
d) If God wanted us to have water poured over our heads, He could have used this word.
4. Sprinkling and pouring were not the original modes of New Testament baptism.
a) The first instance of its use was in 251 A.D.
b) A sick man by the name of Novatian who feared dying unbaptized had his friends lay bed sheets all around him and they poured water all over him in a attempt to baptize him.
c) This came to be called clinical baptism.
d) In 753 A.D., pope Stephen II legislated that in “cases of necessity” pouring water on the head was acceptable.
e) In 1311, a council of bishops meeting in Ravenna, Italy voted that either sprinkling or immersion was acceptable.
B. Someone who has been sprinkled on or poured on has NOT been baptized.
1. Yet, so many religious groups allow or even force people to forego immersion in favor of sprinkling or pouring.
2. These people will often tell you that they have been baptized when, indeed, they have not.
3. Once again, the Devil convinces them they are saved when they are not.
Conclusion
1. Have you met the above requirements?
2. Have you been SCRIPTURALLY baptized?
3. If not (Or if you are not sure)… don’t gamble with your soul.
4. Contact Us for assistance – Do it right and KNOW that you are saved.
Delivered on: August 5, 2012. Streetsboro.
John 17:20-21 Causes of Denominationalism – audio
Old - G E L N D J J R 1S 2S 1K 2K 1C 2C E N E J P P E S I J L E D H J A O J M N H Z H Z MNew - M M L J A R 1C 2C G E P C 1Th 2Th 1T 2T T P H J 1P 2P 1J 2J 3J J R - Topical - All - Archive
Text: John 17:20-21.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Introduction
1. “Denominate” – to name.
2. “Denomination” – a name or designation, especially one serving to classify a set of things. A recognized autonomous branch of the Christian church.
3. There are about 20-30 major denominations in existence today.
4. Among those major groupings, there are countless sub-divisions.
5. For example: Read list of Baptist Subdivision in the United States.
6. That God is displeased with this situation is beyond doubt.
7. How did we get to this current state of affairs?
8. Some would look back to the Reformation movement of the 1500’s with Martin Luther as the start of Denominationalism.
9. While it is true that most of the modern denominations had their origins in the Reformation; it is also true that the underlying causes of denominationalism were present long before even the establishment of the church.
Body
I. Jesus’ Disciples. Mark 9:33-38.
A. Even before the church was established there were certain “red flags” that warned of division to come.
B. Jesus’ disciples were concerned with who would be the greatest among them.
C. Pride is one of the major causes of denominationalism.
D. There always have been and always will be people who desire to have a following.
1. Paul warned the Ephesian elders of this. Acts 20:29-30.
2. Diotrephes is another example. 3 John 9.
E. Also we see in Mark 9:33-38, that the disciples demonstrated an elitist attitude.
1. There was a man casting out demons in the name of Jesus.
2. Thus, he was a true follower of Jesus or else he would not be able to do such.
3. Yet the disciples forbade him because he was not part of their little group.
4. This is much like the attitude that Diotrephes demonstrated.
5. This type of divisive attitude is also one of the causes of denominationalism.
F. Jesus’ answer?
1. Don’t seek to be great.
2. Seek to be a servant.
3. Greatness in the kingdom of Christ comes from serving others!
II. The church at Corinth. 1 Corinthians 1:11-12.
A. Spiritual immaturity is another cause of denominationalism.
B. Just like there will always be certain men who want to have followers, there will always be people who are more interested in the preacher than what is being preached.
C. Sometimes these people will denominate them selves even when their leader does not desire it.
For example, Martin Luther said, “I pray you leave my name alone and not to call yourselves Lutherans, but Christians. Who is Luther? My doctrine is not mine: I have not been crucified for any one…How does it then benefit me, a miserable bag of dust and ashes, to give my name to the children of Christ? Cease, my dear friends, to cling to these party names and distinctions; away with all of them; and let us call ourselves only Christians, after Him from whom our doctrine comes.”
1. I disagree with Luther on a lot of things but he had it exactly right in this statement!
2. Yet, his followers still call themselves Lutherans.
D. What were Paul’s instructions?
1. 1 Corinthians 1:10.
2. 1 Corinthians 1:13.
3. 1 Corinthians 3:3-4.
III. The Pharisees.
A. Mark 7:1-9.
1. The Pharisees had no respect for the authority of the Scriptures.
2. They had placed the traditions of men above the Scriptures. (v.9)
3. Jesus says that those who do this are far from God. (v.6)
4. Furthermore, He says that their worship is vain. (v.7)
B. The Bible alone will make Christians only.
1. We don’t read of Methodists, Lutherans, Baptists, Episcopalians, etc… in the Bible.
2. These names and different doctrines are the result of man’s lack of respect for the authority of the Scriptures.
3. Sometimes it is not a lack of respect for Biblical authority but is rather an incorrect view of it.
a) Some feel that anything not expressly forbidden by Scripture is authorized.
b) Time and time again we are shown that God’s silence does not authorize.
(1) Leviticus 10:1-2.
(2) 2 Samuel 7:1-7.
IV. The Galatians.
A. Galatians 1:6-9.
1. The Galatians were allowing their selves to be led astray by certain people who were perverting the Gospel of Christ.
2. Paul marveled (was amazed) that they were turning away so soon.
3. The Galatians, evidently, were either ignorant of the truth or simply didn’t care that the truth was being perverted.
a) How could they not know the truth? Weren’t they Christians?
b) The answer is yes, but even Christians, if they do not continue to study and grow, can forget the very fundamental truths upon which their salvation was built.
c) Hebrews 5:12.
d) Hence the reason Peter felt the need to constantly remind the brethren of basic, fundamental truths. 2 Peter 1:12-15.
B. Lack of knowledge, will all too often, lead to denominationalism.
1. Hosea 4:6.
2. It amazes me how many people do not even know the basic tenets of their denomination.
a) I have yet to meet a member of any denomination who tells me that they believe a little baby is born sinful.
b) But a common tenet of most denominations is the doctrine of Original Sin which teaches that very thing!
3. Many have never taken the time to find out what their church teaches much less what the Bible teaches on a given topic.
4. 1 John 4:1.
Conclusion
1. Denominationalism is wrong.
2. However, denominationalism is just a symptom of deeper problems which have been a constant danger to man.
a. Pride and an elitist attitude.
b. Spiritual Immaturity.
c. No respect for Biblical authority or a perverted view of such.
d. Ignorance of the truth and apathy.
3. All of these things will lead to religious division.
4. What is the answer?
5. Repent and go back to the authority – The Bible!
Delivered on: January 15, 2012. Streetsboro.
Gossip – audio
Old - G E L N D J J R 1S 2S 1K 2K 1C 2C E N E J P P E S I J L E D H J A O J M N H Z H Z MNew - M M L J A R 1C 2C G E P C 1Th 2Th 1T 2T T P H J 1P 2P 1J 2J 3J J R - Topical - All - Archive
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Introduction
1. I maim without killing.
2. I break hearts and ruin lives.
3. I am cruel and malicious and gather strength with age.
4. The more I am quoted, the more I am believed.
5. I flourish at every level of society.
6. My victims are helpless.
a. They cannot protect themselves against me because I have no name and no face.
b. To track me down is impossible.
c. The harder you try, the more elusive I become.
7. I’m nobody’s friend.
8. I topple governments and ruin marriages.
9. I destroy careers, cause heartache and many sleepless nights.
10. I spawn suspicion and generate grief.
11. I make innocent people cry into their pillows at night.
12. I am gossip.
Body
I. WHAT IS GOSSIP?
A. A Definition.
1. Casual or unconstrained conversation or reports about other people, typically involving details that are not confirmed as being true.
2. Chiefly derogatory, a person who likes talking about other people’s lives.
B. Four Words. These four words give us some insight into the nature of what gossip really entails.
1. Talebearer / Whisperer.
a) Proverbs 11:13.
b) A talebearer is one who likes to reveal secrets.
c) He does this in whispers.
2. Backbiter.
a) 2 Corinthians 12:20.
b) Literally: one who speaks against or speaks back.
c) Brings with it the idea of speaking secretly about someone behind their back.
d) As a result, the one being spoken of has no opportunity to defend himself.
3. Busybody.
a) 2 Thessalonians 3:11.
(1) From a compound verb meaning to work around.
(2) In other words, to be busy in other people’s affairs.
b) 1 Peter 4:15.
(1) From two words: That which belongs to another, and overseer.
(2) So busybodies are people who think they are overseers over other people’s business.
(3) Also, notice that being a busybody is listed right along with being a murderer, thief, and evildoer.
c) Busybodies are “peeping Toms.” Always peeping into other people’s lives.
4. Slanderer.
a) 2 Timothy 3:1-3.
b) Slander – to accuse.
c) The Greek word for slanderer is “diabolos” or devil.
d) Psalm 101:5.
e) Psalm 140:11.
C. What is gossip?
1. Being busy in other people’s affairs.
2. Telling tales about others.
3. Telling these tales behind their backs.
4. Accusing others of things without giving them the chance to defend themselves.
D. An important note.
1. If you become aware of a brother or sister not behaving properly…
2. Matthew 18:15-17.
3. First go to that brother or sister and…
a) Confirm the truthfulness or untruthfulness of the facts.
b) If that brother or sister is guilty of sin, encourage them to repent.
4. If they won’t repent, take one or two witnesses with you that every word may be established.
5. If there is still no repentance, reveal it to the church.
6. This is not gossip. Gossip is speaking of others with no intention of helping them.
II. WHY IS GOSSIP SUCH A PROBLEM?
A. People enjoy it. Proverbs 18:8.
1. Gossip is like an all-you-can-eat buffet with a dessert bar.
2. Gossip is like a hot fudge peanut butter sundae made with chocolate peanut butter ice cream.
B. Why is gossip so tasty?
1. I am convinced that there is a part of us that likes to hear about the misdeeds / weaknesses of others because it makes us feel better about ourselves.
2. We have a bit of the Pharisee in us. Luke 18:9-12.
III. GOSSIP CAUSES GREAT HARM.
A. James 3:5-8.
1. Gossip is a wildfire gone out of control.
2. We may try to put it out but it has a life of it’s own.
3. It is full of deadly poison (v.8).
B. Gossip can destroy friendships. Proverbs 16:28.
C. Gossip causes division and strife. Proverbs 26:20.
D. Gossip causes fierce anger. Proverbs 25:23.
E. Often, gossip spreads falsehood. Ephesians 4:25.
F. Being a Gossip / Busybody / Talebearer / Whisperer / Backbiter will cause you to be lost. Romans 1:29-32.
IV. THE REMEDY FOR GOSSIP.
A. Repent! Don’t listen to gossip.
1. Proverbs 20:19.
2. If the gossip has no one to talk to, he will cease.
3. Put a stop it by saying:
a) Brother, this sounds a lot like gossip and I can’t take part in that. Or…
b) Brother, this is serious business. Let’s go and talk to brother ____ and see if this is true.
B. Watch your tongue carefully.
1. Ephesians 4:29.
2. If our words tear people down rather than build them up, we must keep quiet.
C. Realize that you will have to give an account of all your words. Matthew 12:36-37.
D. Pray as David did: Psalm 141:3-4.
Delivered on: November 13, 2011. Streetsboro.