Questions and Answers 2012-07-29 – audio

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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.