Questions and Answers 2012-09-30 – audio

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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.