Historical Posts
Galatians 01:06-12 – One Gospel, Many Preachers – Audio
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Text: Galatians 1:6-12
One Gospel, Many Preachers
Over the course of time, there have been many preachers. At the beginning of the church, there was only one gospel! As time went on, some people began to turn to a different gospel; however, there is not really another gospel, but some wanted to pervert the one gospel and preach a false gospel! That still happens today, yet it should not be so!
I. There is one gospel.
A. Paul received the gospel through revelation of Jesus Christ (Galatians 1:11-12).
B. The gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).
C. The gospel is God’s power to save (Romans 1:16)!
D. There is not another gospel, but some pervert it (Galatians 1:6-7).
II. There are many preachers.
A. Peter preached the first gospel sermon on Pentecost (Acts 2:29-36).
B. Philip preached Jesus to the Ethiopian (Acts 8:30-37).
C. Paul simply preached Christ and Him crucified (Romans 6:1-6; 1 Corinthians 2:2; Galatians 6:14; 1 Corinthians 1:17; 1 Thessalonians 2:9).
III. Many preachers must preach the same gospel!
A. Jesus said, “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 (Mark 16:15-16).”
B. Preachers must preach so people can hear, believe, and call upon the LORD (Romans 10:13-16; Isaiah 52:7).
C. Preachers should say the same thing, and let there be no division among them (1 Corinthians 1:10).
D. If a preacher preaches a different gospel, he is to be accursed (Galatians 1:8-9).
It was thrilling to hear many gospel preachers last week at Polishing The Pulpit. They all spoke the same thing! The one gospel that was preached in the first century can still be preached today. The one gospel that saved men’s souls then is the one gospel that saves men’s souls today. Though there may be many preachers must preach the one gospel of Christ from the Word of God!
Have you heard the one gospel and responded to accept salvation in Christ?
Salvation: Hear - Believe - Repent - Confess - Be Baptized - Live Faithfully
Content by Richard Dillon
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A Christ Centered Religion
Christ Centered Religion – No creed but Christ, no head but Him, and no law but His!
We can never overemphasize the importance of being obedient students of the Bible. In God’s great scheme for the salvation of man, He provided for the preservation of His divine will through the written word. The Bible is no ordinary book. It is the word of the Almighty. It should be studied, learned, obeyed, and lived.
He who rejects the Bible and the Christ centered religion that results makes a terrible mistake. Paul wrote: “If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to the wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness, he is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself” (1 Timothy 6:3-5).
The fact is that our eternal well-being depends upon our devotion to the sacred text. It is through the Scriptures that we learn of the Savior. We cannot know God’s will apart from His word. Therefore, we must be careful students of the Bible. All that we believe, teach, and practice must originate in the Bible, which will cause us to have a Christ centered religion. Peter wrote, “If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God” (1 Peter 4:11).
The churches of Christ make a concerted effort to be governed by the Bible, and the Bible alone. We have no creed but Christ, no head but Him, and no law but His! If you are interested in a Christ-centered religion, then give us a try. With Paul we say, “We preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake” (2 Corinthians 4:5).
Content by Roger Rush
Visit Roger at the 6th and Washington Street Church of Christ in Marietta OH.
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The People Perish
Thanks to Al Parr, working with the Saline Church of Christ, for the content of this post.
Proverbs 29:18 KJV – “Where there is no vision the people perish.“
This verse is often referenced by those who would encourage us to think ahead, or to exercise wisdom in making our plans for the future, but that is not the message in the verse. The next portion of the same verse makes that clear when it says, “but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.”
The “vision” in the verse is not a clear understanding from experience, skill or wisdom. It is a revelation from the Lord. Ezekiel said, “then shall they seek a vision of the prophet; but the law shall perish from the priest, and counsel from the ancients.” (Ezekiel 7:26)
When people refuse to hear the word of God and heed it’s admonitions, they are doomed to perish. It was proven true of the Ammonites, the Hittites, the Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Sodomites and many others. They are gone because they did not heed the word of God.
How many of today’s nations will suffer the same fate? And how soon? Let us preach the gospel more urgently than ever before, lest our people perish.
Al Parr works Confirming the Churches and preaches at the Saline Church of Christ
7300 East Michigan Avenue
Saline, MI 48176
734-429-4319
Content by Zachary Van Tassel
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Acts 08:30-39 What it Means to Preach Jesus
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Text: Acts 8:30-39
Introduction
1. It is not uncommon today to hear people say just preach Jesus!
a. Often in response to those who preach and teach on baptism
b. Which many modern preachers rarely mention in their preaching
2. But what does it mean to preach Jesus?
a. Should it include baptism?
b. If so, what else should be included?
3. In Acts 8, we read of the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch
a. Who on his return from Jerusalem was met by Philip the evangelist – Acts 8:26-29
b. Who invited Philip to explain a passage from the book of Isaiah – Acts 8:30-34
c. Beginning with the passage (Isaiah 53:7-8), note that Philip preached Jesus to him – Acts 8:35
4. We can learn what it means to preach Jesus from what is written regarding the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch!
Body
I. Isaiah’s quotation
A. Jesus died for our sins
1. The passage from Isaiah reveals the reason for the Messiah’s suffering – Isaiah 53:4-6,10-11
2. Christ’s death for our sins was fundamental to the gospel Paul preached – 1 Corinthians 15:1-3
3. Preaching Jesus therefore proclaims His death for our sins
B. Jesus has been exalted
1. Isaiah’s prophecy begins and ends with the exaltation of the Messiah – Isaiah 52:13; 53:12
2. The theme of Jesus’ exaltation permeated Peter’s preaching – Acts 2:36; 5:30-31
3. Preaching Jesus therefore pronounces that He has been exalted by God
II. The eunuch’s question
A. The importance of baptism
1. Notice the first question asked by the eunuch – Acts 8:36
a. “See, here is water. What hinders me from being Baptized?”
b. Preaching Jesus clearly included preaching on baptism!
2. Indeed, baptism was important to Jesus and His apostles
a. Jesus commanded it in giving the great commission – Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15-16
b. The apostles commanded it in their preaching – Acts 2:38; 10:47-48
c. The apostles also wrote of its value in their epistles – Romans 6:3-4; 1 Peter 3:21
3. Preaching Jesus therefore includes preaching baptism!
B. The immediacy of baptism
1. The Ethiopian was anxious to obey; Philip was willing to accommodate him – Acts 8:38
a. Why the urgency? Why not wait until they got to town, or to a church?
b. Others were baptized immediately, even after midnight Acts 16:30-33
2. The reason for such urgency is clearly taught elsewhere
a. Baptism is for the remission of sins – Acts 2:38; 22:16
b. We experience the working of God, and put on Christ – Colossians 2:12-13; Galatians 3:27
3. Preaching Jesus therefore calls upon people to be baptized quickly!
III. Philip’s qualification
A. The necessity of faith
1. Philip’s response to the eunuch’s question qualified who should be baptized – Acts 8:37
a. “If you believe…you may”
b. Faith is a necessary prerequisite to baptism, which precludes infant baptism
2. Indeed faith is necessary to salvation – John 8:24
a. Through faith we can have life in His name – John 20:30- 31
b. Baptism is a working of God when our faith is present – Colossians 2:12
3. Preaching Jesus therefore demands faith in Jesus before baptism!
B. The necessity of heartiness
1. Philip required a wholehearted faith – Acts 8:37
a. “If you believe with all your heart, you may”
b. Baptism without such faith renders one simply wet!
2. The sort of hearty sincerity God has always required
a. By the children of Israel under the Law – Matthew 22:37
b. By the partakers of Christ today – Hebrews 3:12-14
3. Preaching Jesus therefore requires more than just mental assent before baptism!
Conclusion
1. Preaching Jesus certainly involves more, including
a. Preaching repentance, though such is not mentioned in our text – Luke 24:46-47
b. Preaching the resurrection of Christ, though such is not mentioned – Acts 17:30-31
2. Yet from the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch, preaching Jesus must include
a. Preaching about the suffering and exaltation of Christ
b. Preaching the necessity and immediacy of baptism by a sincere believer
3. Today, many do not preach Jesus as Philip and the apostles did
a. They ignore baptism altogether, or render it insignificant
b. They call upon people to pray, when apostolic preaching called for people to be baptized
4. Has Jesus truly been preached to you, as Philip preached Jesus to the Eunuch? – Acts 2:36-38; 22:16
Content by Donald W. Treadway
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