Historical Posts
Micah 06:06-08 What Does Jesus Require of You? audio
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Text: Micah 6:6-8
Introduction
1. The prophet Micah raises and answers a question – Micah 6:6-8
a. What does the Lord require of you?
b. To do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God
2. In this lesson, I would like to rephrase and answer the question
a. What does Jesus require of you?
b. Letting the words of Jesus Himself to answer
Body
I. TO REPENT OF SIN – Luke 24:46-47
A. THE COMMAND TO REPENT OF SIN
1. Was proclaimed by Jesus during His ministry – Matthew 4:17; Luke 13:3,5
2. Was preached by His apostles as they fulfilled His commission – Acts 3:19; 17:30-31
3. Jesus clearly requires people to repent!
B. WHAT IT MEANS TO REPENT
1. Repent: primarily, to change one’s mind – BDAG
2. To change one’s way of life as the result of a complete change of thought and attitude with regard to sin and righteousness – Louw Nida
3. A decision prompted by godly sorrow for one’s sins – 2 Corinthians 7:9-10
4. A decision demonstrated by fervent change in conduct – 2 Corinthians 7:11
5. Have you expressed godly sorrow for your sin, with a fervent desire to change?
II. TO BELIEVE AND BE BAPTIZED – MK 16:15-16
A. THE COMMAND TO BELIEVE AND BE BAPTIZED
1. The command to believe is foundational to the gospel message-Jn 3:16; 8:24; 20:30-31
2. Likewise the command to be baptized – Acts 2:38; 10:48; 22:16
3. Jesus clearly requires people to believe and be baptized!
B. WHAT IT MEANS TO BELIEVE AND BE BAPTIZED
1. To place your faith in Jesus, that He died for your sins – John 1:29
2. To place your faith in God, that in baptism He will raise you together with Christ, having forgiven you of your sins – Colossians 2:11-13; Romans 6:3-7
3. Consider the example of the Ethiopian eunuch – Acts 8:35-38
4. Have you placed your trust in Jesus, dying with Him to sin in baptism and rising with Him from baptism to a new life?
III. TO BECOME HIS DISCIPLE – Matthew 28:18-20
A. THE COMMAND TO BECOME HIS DISCIPLE
1. Was expressed earlier as a tender invitation – Matthew 11:28-30
2. Begins with the act of baptism mentioned before – Matthew 28:19
3. Jesus clearly requires people to become His disciples!
B. WHAT IT MEANS TO BE HIS DISCIPLE
1. Disciple: one who engages in learning through instruction from another, pupil, apprentice – BDAG
2. A disciple fully trained will be like his teacher – Luke 6:40
3. It requires abiding in Jesus’ words, loving one another, bearing fruit – John 8:31; 13:35
4. It requires denying self, forsaking all – Luke 14:26,33
5. Have you made the commitment to follow and learn from Jesus as His disciple?
IV. TO BE FAITHFUL UNTIL DEATH – Revelation 2:10
A. THE COMMAND TO BE FAITHFUL UNTIL DEATH
1. Is necessary because Jesus knew some would fall away – Luke 8:13-14
2. Is necessary because one can develop a heart of unbelief – Hebrews 3:12-14
3. Jesus clearly requires people to remain faithful as His disciples!
B. WHAT IT MEANS TO REMAIN FAITHFUL
1. To retain our “first love” – Revelation 2:4
2. To reject all false doctrines – Revelation 2:14-15
3. To maintain our zeal for the Lord – Revelation 3:15-16
4. Have you maintained that initial love and zeal you had when you became a Christian?
V. TO REPENT IF NECESSARY
A. THE NEED TO REPENT AS CHRISTIANS
1. Repeated by Jesus time and again – Revelation 2:5,16; 3:3,19
2. Expressed by Paul writing to the church at <a target=”_blank” href=”http://www.biblemap.org/#Corinth”>Corinth</a> – 2 Corinthians 12:20-21
3. Jesus clearly requires His disciples to repent when necessary!
B. WHAT IT MEANS TO REPENT
1. What we said before: a decision prompted by godly sorrow, demonstrated by fervent change
2. For the Christian it includes prayer, confessing one’s sin – Acts 8:22; 1 John 1:9
3. If your faith and service ever wavered, have you repented with fervent zeal?
Conclusion
1. In our lesson we have come full circle (repent-repent).
a. Jesus wants every lost soul to repent and obey the gospel in faith and baptism
b. Jesus wants every wayward disciple to repent and be zealous in their service to Him
2. Have you done what Jesus requires of you…?
a. If you need to repent and obey the gospel, let us assist you!
b. If you need to repent and return to the Lord, let us pray with you!
3. Surely the salvation of your soul and committed discipleship is what Jesus requires of you today…!
Content by Donald W. Treadway
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1 Peter 03:15 Why Do You Believe in Jesus?
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Text: 1 Peter 3:15
Introduction
1. In 1 Peter 3:15, all Christians are commanded to be ready to make a”defense” for the reason of their hope in Christ
a. The word “defense” is from apologia, which means “a speech in defense of what one has done, or of truth which one believes”
b. The formal use of this word is used by Paul in Acts 22:1; 1 Corinthians 9:3
2. Peter, however, uses the word in the context of an informal inquiry by a friend or neighbor.
a. Someone asking “Why are you a Christian?”
b. To such Peter says that we should be ready to give reasons why we believe
3. In this series of lessons on “CHRISTIAN APOLOGETICS”, we shall examine some of the evidence that exists for placing one’s faith in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the Living God
4. In doing so, I hope to accomplish two objectives:
a. To STRENGTHEN OUR FAITH in Jesus Christ
b. To HELP PREPARE OURSELVES to be able to do the thing required by Peter in 1 Peter 3:15
Body
I. THE CHRISTIAN FAITH IS “AN INTELLIGENT, RATIONAL FAITH”
A. IT APPEALS TO THE “MIND” AS WELL AS TO THE “HEART”
1. God expects us to use our minds – Matthew 22:36-38; John 8:32
a. I.e., we do not have to commit “INTELLECTUAL SUICIDE” in order to have faith!
b. More than one person said, My heart cannot rejoice in what my mind rejects
1) A “WEAK FAITH” may be the result of the heart trying to believe in something the mind cannot accept
2) But the “STRONG FAITH” God requires involves both the mind and the heart
2. So it is important that we present reasons why we believe in an INTELLIGENT and RATIONAL manner
B. DOES THIS MEAN WE CAN OFFER 100% PROOF?
1. No, but there is virtually nothing of which we can be 100% sure, who our parents are
2. Yet, we often make 100% commitments with less than 100% proof; flying
a. We cannot be 100% certain that we will have a safe journey
b. But the statistical evidence is strong enough to convince us that we will
c. So though we may not have 100% certainty of arriving safely, when we step on the plane we make a 100% commitment!
3. So the question becomes: IS THERE ENOUGH EVIDENCE OR PROOF TO WARRANT MAKING A 100% COMMITMENT TO CHRIST?
a. There is certainly enough evidence to commit myself 100% FOR HIM, rather than be 100% AGAINST HIM!
b. There is no other alternative – Matthew 12:30
c. Jesus is like an airplane; either we get on board totally, or we get left behind!
C. So the Christian faith is to be an INTELLIGENT, RATIONAL FAITH.
II. THE CHRISTIAN FAITH IS “A HISTORICAL, FACTUAL FAITH”
A. CHRISTIANITY APPEALS TO HISTORY, AND THE FACTS OF HISTORY
1. The facts backing the Christian claim are not a special kind of ‘religious’ fact. They are the cognitive, informational facts upon which all historical, legal, and ordinary decisions are based.
2. It will be my purpose in future lessons:
a. To present these HISTORICAL FACTS
b. Then demonstrate that the Christian interpretation is more logical than any other
B. TO BRIEFLY ILLUSTRATE THAT CHRISTIANITY IS BASED UPON HISTORICAL FACTS
1. Consider Luke 2:1-5; Luke 3:1-2
2. Notice the appeal to time, places, people and events that actually existed in history
C. THE CHRISTIAN FAITH, THEREFORE, IS A HISTORICAL FAITH THAT APPEALS TO CERTAIN FACTS OF HISTORICAL OCCURENCE
1. Not a PHILOSOPHICAL faith appealing to philosophies of men
2. Not a faith based upon MYTHS and LEGENDS
III. THE CHRISTIAN FAITH IS “AN OBJECTIVE FAITH”
A. IT IS A FAITH IN AN “OBJECT”: JESUS OF NAZARETH!
1. Faith in WHO He was: The Christ, the Son of God
2. Faith in WHAT He did: He rose from the dead on the third day
B. IT “DOES” MAKE A DIFFERENCE “WHAT” WE BELIEVE!
1. The old cliche “It doesn’t matter what you believe, as long as you believe in something” is inconsistent with the Christian faith
2. Consider John 8:24; Romans 10:9
a. Note that it is not faith IN OF ITSELF that is important
b. But IN WHOM (the object) our faith is based!
IV. THE CHRISTIAN FAITH IS “BASED ON PRINCIPLES OF TRUTH”
A. SUCH AS “TRUTH IS ALWAYS OPEN TO EXAMINATION”
1. So is the Christian faith
a. Acts 2:22 – Peter appealed to the crowd to examine what they themselves knew
b. Acts 26:24-26 – Paul invited Agrippa to examine the evidence
2. Unlike some religions (esp. “Jehovah’s Witnesses” and the “Mormons”), the CHRISTIAN FAITH is open to honest examination
B. SUCH AS “TRUTH IS ALWAYS OPEN TO NON-TRUTH (FALSIFICATION)”
1. That is, it is open to be proven wrong
2. To illustrate, if you don’t believe Jesus was raised from the dead
a. Use the evidence that is available, and…
b. Attempt to prove by it that He wasn’t!
c. Do this and then we shall see which interpretation of the facts is more logical (intelligent and rational)
V. WHY PEOPLE REJECT CHRIST
A. AS IN THE DAYS OF CHRIST, IT IS USUALLY DUE TO ONE OF THREE REASONS:
1. IGNORANCE – John 7:40-43
a. Some rejected Jesus as the Christ because they were ignorant of the historical facts concerning His birth
b. So many do today for a similar reason: LACK OF ACCURATE INFORMATION!
2. PRIDE – John 12:42-43
a. Pride in wanting to be approved kept them from confessing Jesus as the Christ
b. Today, many do not want the RIDICULE or REJECTION one might face for following Christ
3. MORAL PROBLEM – John 3:19-20
a. Some people reject the evidence because it would mean having to change their LIFESTYLE
b. Today, many people in efforts to justify their immorality
1) Accept only that evidence which supports theories which allows them to continue their lifestyle
2) Reject any evidence which may support a doctrine which would condemn their behavior and require a change
B. WHAT IT OFTEN BOILS DOWN TO IS THIS
1. The rejection of Christ
a. Is not so much a problem of the “MIND” but of the “WILL”!
b. Is not so much “I CAN’T” but “I WON’T”!
2. There is enough evidence to convince the honest and sincere seeker
3. But there is not enough evidence to force a man against his will when he is determined to reject it!
Conclusion
1. It is with these “BASICS” in mind that I shall endeavor to give evidence that warrants faith in Jesus of Nazareth as the Christ, the Son of God
2. I shall not attempt to prove anything “beyond a shadow of a doubt,” for that is not possible
3. But I shall try to show that it is more logical to believe in Jesus, than for one not to!
4. And we shall begin by examining the evidence that demonstrates Jesus to be a true, historical figure, a person who actually lived!
Content by Donald W. Treadway
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Hebrews 11:06 – Do We Believe That God Is? audio
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(Taking a Hard Look at Our Own Convictions)
Text: Hebrews 11:6
Introduction
A. In this series of lessons, we are emphasizing the need to take God more seriously. There is not a single one of us who does not need to do this!
B. In the last lesson, we saw that it’s possible for us to actually PLEASE God. That ought to be our confident hope and our highest aim.
C. In this lesson, we’ll look at FAITH — “for he who comes to God must believe that He is.”
D. Do we believe that God is? Let’s take a hard look at our own convictions.
Body
I. DO WE NEED THIS LESSON?
A. Some will already have said they don’t need to ask whether God is. They say, “of course we believe that God is!”
1. Well, perhaps we do, but in all honesty, the “faith” that many of us have is little more than a hand-me-down religion. Some indications:
(1) carnal attitudes and worldly lifestyles
(2) non-involvement in congregational life
(3) ignorance of the Scriptures
(4) vulnerability to temptation.
2. Ours may be a “Christian” nation — but few may really believe that God is.
3. And ours may be a faithful congregation but real, personal faith may be in short supply
B. The Scriptures speak of things like a “sincere faith” (1 Timothy 1:5) and a “genuine faith” (2 Timothy 1:5)
C. As individuals, our faith is somewhere on a continuum between the faith of others and a faith that is our own. The question is: what can we do to move toward a faith that is more our own?
D. Let’s look first at the difference between these two kinds of faith, starting with the one that we’re striving for: a truly genuine, personal faith.
II. THE INGREDIENTS OF PERSONAL FAITH
A. Genuine, personal faith has three basic elements:
1. Credence (belief) – John 8:24 – This includes not only the what but also the why – 1 Peter 3:15.
2. Confidence (trust) – 2 Timothy 1:12 – Real trust produces unconditional obedience: trust = obey.
3. Constancy (faithful unto death) – 2 Timothy 4:7-8 – Faith = Faithfulness – Revelation 2:10.
B. On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate your own faith in these three areas?
III. THE TRAITS OF MERE TRADITION
A. Definition: “tradition” simply refers to that which has been “received.”
B. In religion, some people’s faith is nothing more than tradition. They’ve simply been going with the flow, and their convictions are nothing more than those of the “chameleon.” Their faith is not really their own. It is a matter of convenience rather than conviction.
C. Now, what is wrong here is not tradition itself. There is nothing wrong with tradition! We are fools if we throw things away simply because they are traditional – 2 Timothy 1:5; 2 Timothy 3:14-15; 2 Thessalonians 2:15.
D. Our point is not that faith and tradition are opposites, but that real faith is MORE than tradition!
E. The difference is not in the CONTENT, but in the QUALITY of our faith.
1. If our faith is mere tradition, then it’s probably very weak.
2. We’ve probably never examined it or thought it through.
3. It’s probably never been seriously tested. Cf. James 1:2, 3; 1 Peter 1:6-7.
4. It’s probably quite abstract & impersonal — God is little more than an idea to talk about.
5. Worst of all, we’re probably not able to give a reason for the hope that is within us – 1 Peter 3:15 — we don’t know why we believe.
F. Three dangers of a faith that is mere tradition:
1. It won’t stand the test of temptation.
2. It won’t stand the test of hardship.
3. It won’t stand the test of judgment – Matthew 7:22-23; Matthew 15:8-9
IV. STEPS WE CAN TAKE TO GROW IN OUR FAITH
A. Many never really confront the issue of real faith until they’re faced with some serious crisis in life. Yet this is too IMPORTANT an issue to postpone until a crisis makes it URGENT.
B. Can’t we decide right now to move from “hand-me-down religion” to a deeper, more genuine faith? What practical steps can we take?
1. First, we can be honest about our faith – Mark 9:24, 2 Corinthians 13:5.
2. Then we can:
a. Feed it.
b. Challenge it.
c. Refresh it.
C. Like most valuable things, real faith has to be grown. There is no “get faithful quick” scheme – 1 Timothy 4:15-16 – We need incremental growth, little investments in our faith day by day.
Conclusion
A. We say we “believe that God is,” but how much do we trust Him in making real-life decisions?
1. Do you believe that somebody could walk over Niagara Falls on a tightrope while pushing a wheelbarrow? Many might say they believed it, but how many would . . . get into the wheelbarrow?
2. When tough, real-world decisions have to be made we find out whether we truly “believe that God is.”
B. The goal of gospel teaching is to produce love out of:
(1) a pure heart
(2) a good conscience
(3) a “faith unfeigned” (1 Timothy 1:5 KJV)
(4) what we want is a faith that is the “real deal.”
C. In future, we won’t be able to “go with the flow.” The flow is moving in too many different directions!
D. It has never been more important to decide what kind of FAITH we’re going to have
Content by Donald W. Treadway
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