Be Reconciled to God - 2/7/10am

Ecclesiastes 7:29 -God made man upright, but men have sought out many inventions
Isaiah 59:1-8 -Sin separates men from God

Reconciliation through Christ
Though we have all sinned and separated ourselves from God, we can be reconciled to Him through Christ.
Zechariah 1:1-4 -Return to God and He will return to you
II Corinthians 5:12-21 -Reconciled to God by Christ Jesus
Romans 5:6-11 -Reconciliation by Christ’s death and resurrection
Colossians 1:19-23 -Once enemies, we are now reconciled
Ephesians 2:14-18 -Both Jews and Gentiles can be reconciled together
Luke 15:11-32 -The parable of the prodigal son

Repentance
To be reconciled we must repent and turn back to serving Him. A change from following after sin to following after Christ must b made.
II Corinthians 7:8-12 -The repentance of the Corinthians
II Timothy 2:11-26 -Repentance of those who acknowledge the truth
Hebrews 6:4-6 -If someone falls away, how can we return them to repentance?
Luke 13:1-5 -Repent or you shall also perish

Born Again - 1/3/10am

I Peter 1:1-2 -Addressed to Christians
I Peter 1:3-5 -Born again to
-A living hope through Christ’s resurrection
-An incorruptible inheritance
I Peter 1:6-9 -Rejoice in salvation, even through persecution
I Peter 1:10-12 -Salvation preached by the Holy Spirit through the prophets
I Peter 1:13-21 -Therefore:
-Gird up the loins of your mind
-Be sober
-Rest your hope on the grace
-As obedient children
-Be holy
-Conduct yourself in fear
-Know you are redeemed with Christ’s blood
I Peter 1:22-25 -Purified souls in obeying is equal to born again through the word of God
I Peter 2:1-3 -Therefore:
-Lay aside
-Malice (badness in quality, viciousness)
-Deceit (bait, crafty guile)
-Hypocrisy (like a stage actor)
-Envy (displeasure at another’s prosperity)
-Evil speaking (backbiting)
-Desire the word and grow

John 3:1-2 -Nicodemus comes to Jesus
John 3:3 -Man must be born again
John 3:4-8 -Man must be born of water and the Spirit
John 3:9-12 -Nicodemus does not understand
John 3:13-17 -Christ to be lifted up, that men might be saved
John 3:18-21 -Belief and works

I Corinthians 15:1-8 -Faith in Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection
Hebrews 11:1, 6 -Faith is necessary, as is seeking God
Titus 1:10-16 -Disqualified for every good work
Titus 2:11-14 -Zealous for good works
Acts 2:32-39 -Baptism (water) and receive gift of the Holy Spirit
II Peter 1:19-21 -All prophecy came from the Holy Spirit
Galatians 3:1-14 -The Holy Spirit indwells through faith

Saved from What? - 12/27/09am

II Peter 3:8-9 -That all should come to repentance
I Timothy 2:3-7 -God wants all to be saved

Matthew 18:1-5 -Become as little children
Ecclesiastes 7:29 -God made man upright, but men have searched out many schemes
Romans 3:23 -All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

Saved from the Consequences of Our Actions
Romans 6:20-23 -The wages of sin is death
II Thessalonians 1:1-10 -Punished with everlasting destruction
Revelation 19:19-21 -The beast and false prophet cast to the lake of fire
Revelation 20:7-10 -Satan is cast into the lake of fire
Revelation 20:11-21:8 -The sinful are cast into the lake of fire
I Thessalonians 1:6-10 -Christ delivers us from wrath

We Must Follow Directions
I John 3:16-23 -Command to believe and love
John 6:28-40 -Belief is a work, Christ did the Father’s work
Acts 2:38-42 -Repent and be baptized
Ephesians 6:5-8 -Serve in sincerity of heart
Revelation 2:18-29 -Corrupt Thyatira, but he who keeps Christ’s words to the end receive the reward

What Must I Do? - 10/25/09am

Mark 10:17-22 -The rich young ruler
This man asks a question which is a familiar one that has been asked many times. He asks the question of what a person’s duty is in order to receive salvation and eternal life.
Acts 2:37-41 -What shall we do?
Acts 16:25-34 -What must I do to be saved?

Question Denotes a Degree of Faith
…That God has made salvation available
Titus 2:11-14 -Grace has appeared, bringing salvation to all men
I Timothy 2:1-6 -God our Saviors wants all men to be saved

…That Jesus is the Christ
I John 5:1-5 -Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God
John 6:66-69 -Christ, the Holy One of God, has words of eternal life

The Answer Requires Obedient Action
We see that Christ’s response to the rich young ruler began with reminding him of the commandments that had been given. The meaning is clear: if we wish to receive eternal life, we must do what the Lord has said to do, and avoid those things which the Lord forbids.
I John 2:1-6 -We know Him if we keep His commandments
Acts 3:17-21 -Repent and convert, that yours sins may be removed
Romans 10:5-13 -Confess with the mouth
Galatians 3:23-29 -As many as have been baptized

The Answer Requires Focus
The rich young man went away sad because he lacked the proper focus. His wealth was more important to him than was eternal life. We must be diligent to always have the proper focus and priorities in our life. We must be focused on Christ.
Mark 10:23-31 -Leave all for Christ to receive the reward
Matthew 10:32-39 -Love Christ more than family or life
Hebrews 12:1-2 -Cast off every weight, looking unto Jesus
Hebrews 11:17-19 -Abraham loved God more than he loved Isaac
Hebrews 11:24-29 -Moses loved God more than Egypt’s riches
Matthew 6:33 -Seek first the kingdom and His righteousness

Working in the Vineyard - 10/18/09am

Matthew 20:1-16 -Parable of the workers in the vineyard

The Promise
Each worker was made a promise of a denarius for their labor. We have a promise for our labor. Our promise, however, is far greater than a day’s worth of pay. Our promise is of Christ’s return and of eternal life to follow.
I Timothy 4:1-11 -Godliness holds the promise of life
II Peter 3:1-13 -The promise of His coming
I John 2:25 -The Lord has promised eternal life
Luke 14:25-33 -Count the cost...is the promise worth the work?

The Work
In order to carry out their part of the arrangement, the hired men had to spend the rest of the day working. The same is very much true for us. We must spend our time working if we wish to receive what has been promised. The promise is conditional.
Matthew 9:35-38 -The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few
I Timothy 3:1-5 -Timothy, the fellow worker
Ephesians 4:11-16 -Prepared for works of service, each does his own work
Titus 2:1-15 -Instruction on good works

The Payment
It is not too late to begin working. It is not to late to start serving the Lord, carrying out His will. Whether you have never obeyed the gospel or whether you have obeyed but have not been a diligent worker, it is not too late to start...if you start now. You are not guaranteed a later. But if we are His workers, we will receive what He has promised.
Hebrews 11:6 -He rewards those who seek Him
James 1:12 -Receive the crown of life that God has promised
I Thessalonians 4:13-18 -Meet the Lord in the air and be with Him forever
Hebrews 10:19-25 -He who promised is faithful

God's Patience - 9/13/09pm

Ezekiel 20:1-4 -The elders of Israel seek the Lord
Ezekiel 20:5-9 -Israel’s unfaithfulness when coming out of Egypt
Ezekiel 20:10-17 -Israel’s unfaithfulness on the way to Canaan
Ezekiel 20:18-24 -Israel’s unfaithfulness when wandering in the wilderness
Ezekiel 20:25-26 -The depths of Israel’s depravity
Ezekiel 20:27-32 -Israel’s unfaithfulness in the promised land

Romans 9:18-33 -God’s patience had a purpose: it was for those who were obedient, and those to come who would be obedient
Israel had been rebellious against God, yet the Lord did not destroy them. Why? Because there were those that would come later that would serve the Lord, and by patiently enduring those who rebelled, He could show mercy on those who did not. In short, that God was patient with rebellious Israel so that we today might be saved.

Romans 2:1-11 -Do not despise God’s patience, leading to repentance
Some in Rome had been unrighteous judging others of the same thing they themselves had been doing. Paul here makes a point: God has shown patience to those that sin that they might repent of what they are doing and turn back to following Him. We too should have this attitude. Not to tolerate and accept the sin, but to patiently strive to turn the sinner back to God and to give opportunity and time for such to happen.

I Timothy 1:12-17 -Paul is an example of God’s patience
Paul serves as an example of God’s patience. The Lord did not destroy Paul when he blasphemed and persecuted the Lord’s church. Instead, opportunity was provided for Paul to repent and obey the Lord.

I Peter 3:18-22 -God’s patience in the days of Noah led to salvation
Christ, through Noah, preached what men must do. They rejected the word of God and continued in their sin, leading to their “imprisonment.” Nonetheless, eight were saved by the Lord’s patience. Instead of immediately destroying all, he gave opportunity for salvation.

II Peter 3:1-18 -”The longsuffering of our Lord is salvation”
The Lord has not destroyed the earth, giving opportunity for all men to obey the gospel and have eternal salvation. Will you not obey the gospel? Or will you delay until God’s patience has reached its end and it is too late?

God and Man in Salvation - 8/30/09am

What God Does
Genesis 3:9-15 -God made a Plan
From when sin entered the world, God set in motion a plan for redeeming man. He did this because He loved us. Not as a collective, but each as individuals. Even while we turned from Him, He continued His plan for our salvation.
I John 4:7-11 -God loved us first
John 3:13-16 -God so loved the world
Romans 5:8-11 -God loved us, His Son died so we may be justified
By His blood, we are saved. God has done for us what no man can do: offered the perfect sacrifice for sin. And when He had done this, and the Christ rose again the third day, He did not keep it hidden, known only to a select few. He did it publicly, and sent men to spread the good news of salvation, that even those who had rejected Him might have opportunity for eternal life.
Matthew 28:18-20 -Christ sent men to spread the gospel
II Peter 1:2-4 -The gospel is complete and all that we need
Titus 2:11-14 -His grace has appeared to all men
And this good news and grace is something we all need, for we have all chosen to sin. We have each fallen short of what we should be.
Romans 3:23 -All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God
Ecclesiastes 7:29 -Though created upright, men seek out other paths

What Man Does
Salvation has been made available by God. So what do we each have to do in order to grasp this good and perfect gift?
Hebrews 5:5-11 -Salvation goes to those who obey
I John 3:16-24 -Love and belief: commands of God
John 6:26-33 -Believing is doing a work of God
I Corinthians 16:22 -The importance of loving the Lord
Acts 17:30 -All men need to repent
II Timothy 2:22 -Flee youthful lusts, pursue righteousness
Romans 10:8-13 -Confess Christ
Acts 2:38 -Repent and be baptized
These things are necessary to grasp hold of salvation for the first time. But once we have it, we cannot let go of the hope we have. We must continue to live for Christ.
I John 1:5-2:6 -Walk in the light with Christ
What is required of us is so insignificant compared to what the Lord has already done. He does not ask us to do things that will “earn” salvation. Instead, He asks for small, simple things, done out of love and faith. Are you walking in the light? Are you with Christ? Have you obeyed the gospel?

Calling on the Name of the Lord - 7/26/09pm

Romans 10:1-21 -Whoever shall call upon the name of the Lord
Matthew 7:21-23 -Not everyone who says to me Lord, Lord
Calling on the name of the Lord is linked to confessing Christ, and of course, salvation. However, we know from the passage in Matthew that it is not simply giving vocal acknowledgement of the Lord. Let us consider, again, some of the psalms which call upon the Lord.

Psalm 18:1-3 -David calls upon the Lord in praise
Psalm 31:9-18 -David calls upon the Lord
Psalm 105:1-7 -Giving thanks, praise, calling on the Lord
Psalm 141:1-10 -A prayer to be kept from sin
Psalm 148:17-21 -The Lord is near those who call upon Him
We see that calling on the Lord includes spoken confession, but goes far deeper. Calling on the Lord involves confessing Christ throughout all our lives, in word and in deed. Calling on the Lord involves turning to the Lord in all circumstances.

I Corinthians 1:1-3 -The church, those who call upon the Lord
II Timothy 2:14-26 -Those who call on the Lord with a pure heart
Those who truly call upon the Lord are the church, those who have been sanctified. If we wish to call upon the Lord, we must do more than simply do so vocally: we must live it.

God's Gift: Grace - 7/26/09am

II Peter 3:17-18 -Grow in grace and knowledge
As in previous weeks, we consider this passage. We have looked at growth and we have looked at knowledge. This week we consider God’s grace, by which we have salvation.
Ephesians 2:1-10 -Saved by grace, the gift of God
Titus 2:11-15 -The grace of God has appeared to all men

I Peter 1:3-16 -Salvation, grace to be given to you, obedience
I Timothy 1:8-12 -Saved and called to a holy life by His grace
Romans 6:1-23 -A life of sin is opposed to God’s gift of eternal life
After considering these verses, let us look at an example of how a gift from God works. Consider Jericho, which God gave to the Israelites.
Joshua 6:1-21 -Example of God giving a gift: Jericho

Philippians 3:1-21 -Paul’s faith, righteousness from God, and pursuit of the goal

Righteous Before God - 5/31/09pm

Job 25:1-6 -How can a man be righteous before God?
In the book of Job, Bildad asks several rhetorical questions. Let us look at one of them: how can a man be righteous before God? Let us turn to the book of Romans, where we will look at some passages that teach us how we can, in fact, stand righteous before God.

All have sinned and made themselves unrighteous
Romans 3:1-8 -The unrighteousness of the Jews
Romans 3:9-20 -The unrighteousness also of the gentiles
Romans 3:21-31 -All are unrighteous, so Christ served as a propitiation through faith

The Lord has given us opportunity to become righteous
Romans 5:1-11 -By faith we have hope through Christ
Romans 5:12-21 -Through Christ, we can have life

So how do we become righteous?
Romans 6:1-14 -We must put sin to death in ourselves, putting on Christ
Romans 6:15-23 -Slaves to sin to slaves of God, and the consequences
Romans 12:1-2 -Present selves as a sacrifice to God
Romans 12:9-16 -Instructions for righteous living

Remember Romans 6:3-9, where we are told we must die to sin and put on Christ through baptism, and then, as we have seen, we must live a life dedicated not to sin, but to Christ. If we truly follow the Lord, we can stand righteous before Him in the last day.

Innocence, Sin, and Turning Back - 4/5/09am

We often look at salvation. Usually we look at what God has done and what we must do. We consider the necessity of it. Today I would like to spend a few minutes examining salvation as a timeline. Beginning with when we are born, and ending when, hopefully, we pass from this life having faithfully served the Lord.

Innocence
When we are born, we are sinless and pure. This state continues until, knowing sin, we choose to transgress.
Ecclesiastes 7:29 -Man is created upright
Ezekiel 18:17-20 -No inherited sin: the soul who sins shall die
Matthew 18:1-6 -You must be converted and be like little children
Matthew 19:13-15 -The kingdom belongs to those like children
Genesis 2:15-17 -Man not to eat of the tree in the center of the garden
Genesis 3:1-13 -Knowledge of good and evil, sin

Sin
We have all sinned. We have all chosen to turn against the Lord and follow our own wills at some point, and so separated ourselves from God.
Romans 3:23 -All have sinned and fallen short
I John 3:4-9 -Sin is transgression of the law
James 4:17 -Sin of omission
I John 2:15-17 -Love for the things of this world
Isaiah 59:1-2 -Your sins have separated you from God
Genesis 3:14-24 -Adam and Eve driven from paradise in punishment

Turning Back
We each have opportunity in our lives to return to God and have our sins washed away. We must choose to do so.
II Corinthians 7:8-11 -Godly sorrow produces repentance
Luke 15:3-10 -Rejoice over repentant sinners
James 2:14-26 -Not only faith, but obedient works are required
Colossians 2:9-14 -Buried in Christ through baptism

Have you taken this step of turning back to God? Or are you content to stop in the second stage of life, with the guilt of sin? Will you not repent? If you have done so, are you continuing in it?
Matthew 24:13 -The one who endures to the end shall be saved
II Timothy 4:6-8 -I have fought the good fight, finished the course

God's Forgiveness - 3/1/09am

Romans 3:23 -All men are in need of forgiveness
Luke 24:45-49 -Forgiveness is available for all
We have all sinned and are in need of forgiveness. Fortunately, we have a God who loves us enough to make forgiveness available to us.

Luke 5:17-25 -Christ has power to forgive sins
Ephesians 1:7-8 -Forgiveness through God’s grace
God has the ability and willingness to extend to us forgiveness that we do not deserve. He has done what is necessary to make it possible: He sent His Son.
Romans 3:22-26 -Christ is the sacrifice for our sins
I John 4:7-12 -Christ is the sacrifice for our sins
Matthew 26:26-29 -Christ’s blood is poured our sins
Hebrews 9:16-28 -His sacrifice was necessary

However, there are those things that God requires of us in order to receive His forgiveness.
Acts 10:43 -Believe for forgiveness of sins
Matthew 6:9-15 -Forgive for our sins to be forgiven
I John 1:8-10 -Confess sins for forgiveness
Luke 11:2-4 -Prayer for forgiveness of sins is shown
Acts 8:9-23 -Repent and pray for forgiveness
Acts 2:38 -Repent and be baptized for forgiveness

As in so many things, God gives us evidence that He is willing to forgive anyone who is willing to turn towards Him, no matter what life that person once led. Let us look at just one example of one person God was willing to forgive.
I Timothy 1:15-17 -Christ came to forgive sinners, of whom Paul was chief
Acts 8:1-3 -Paul approving Stephen’s death, destroying church
Acts 9:1-2 -Paul persecuting church
Acts 9:13-14 -Others knew of his persecution
II Timothy 4:7-8 -Paul awaits a crown of righteousness

Heaven and Hell - 11/16/08am

Hebrews 5:12-6:3 -Eternal judgment is a first principle
I Thessalonians 4:13-5:3 -The day of the Lord
II Peter 3:1-13 -The day of the Lord

Judgment
One Judgment
II Timothy 4:1 -Christ to judge the living and dead
Hebrews 9:27 -Once to die, then the judgment

Judged by our actions
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 -God will judge all actions
Romans 14:10-12 -Give an account at judgment
II Corinthians 5:9-11 -All stand before the judgment seat
Revelation 20:11-13 -Judged by our works

Righteous Judgment
Romans 1:28-32 -Righteous judgment of God


Luke 16:19-31 -The rich man and Lazarus


Heaven
John 14:1-4 -Mansion has many rooms
Revelation 21:1-22:5 -Figurative description of Heaven’s glory

Hell
Mark 9:42-48 -Where the worm doesn’t die, the fire isn’t quenched
II Peter 2:4 -”Chains of darkness”
Jude 6-7 -”Chains under darkness”
Revelation 20:14-15 -Lake of fire


Amos 4:12 -Prepare to meet your God

The Narrow Path - 11/09/08pm

Matthew 7:13-14 -The road to life is narrow, the gate is small

It is well lit…
Psalm 43:3 -Let your light and truth guide me
Psalm 119:105 -God’s word is a lamp and a light
Proverbs 4:18-19 -Shines brighter and brighter
I John 1:5-7 -Walk in the light

But even so, we will stumble on it
John 11:9-10 -If we walk in the light, we will not stumble
James 3:2 -We all stumble
Deuteronomy 27:18 -Cursed is he who leads others astray on the road

It is walked with a guide…
Genesis 5:22-24 -Enoch walked with God
Genesis 6:9 -Noah walked with God
Psalm 48:14 -Our God will guide us
Psalm 73:24 -We are guided by His counsel
I John 2:1-6 -Walk in the light, walk with Christ
Luke 24:13-32 -Jesus walks with two men on he road

And we have others helping us…
Romans 14:13 -Not being a stumbling block
Hebrews 3:13 -Encourage one another
Hebrews 10:24-25 -Considering and encouraging one another

…But we can stray from it
Deuteronomy 5:32 -Do not turn aside to the right or to the left
John 6:66 -Many disciples no longer walk with Christ

If we walk with God now, we will walk with Him in eternity
Revelation 3:1-6 -Those who are pure will walk with Christ

God Has a Plan For You - 11/2/08am

God has a plan. He has diligently worked to keep this plan operational and successful. He set up this plan for you. And he set up this plan for me. He set up this plan for every individual who has ever lived, is living, and will ever live. He has done amazing things to preserve and carry out this plan. Will be willing to accept it?

What:
I Timothy 1:15 -To save sinners
Matthew 18:11 -Seek and save the lost

Who:
Genesis 3:14-15 -1st prophecy of Christ, immediately after sin enters world (the why)
Genesis 12:1-3 -Seed promise to Abraham
Isaiah 11:1-5 -Branch of Jesse
II Samuel 7:12-16 -A king of David’s line
Matthew 1:1-16 -The lineage of Christ

How:
Isaiah 53:1-12 -The man of sorrows
Mark 15:22-37 -The crucifixion
Matthew 28:1-7 -He is risen
Hebrews 10:1-4 -The law was a shadow, sacrifices

When:
Galatians 4:4-5 -The fullness of time
John 7:1-9 -Time had not yet come
John 17:1-5 -The time had come

Response:
Acts 17:30 -Repent
Acts 22:16 -Baptism and confession

Is This Good Enough? - 10/12/08am

Is This Good Enough?

This world is full of people who subscribe to the idea of “good enough.” So, how good is good enough for God?

God expects us to be blameless and holy
God requires that we be blameless before Him. We are required by Him to walk according to His will and to be spotless in regards to sin.
Genesis 6:5-9 -Noah was blameless and walked with God
Genesis 17:1-2 -Abraham is told to be blameless
Philippians 2:14-16 -Do these things that we might be blameless
II Corinthians 1:2 -Called to be holy
Ephesians 1:4 -Chosen to be holy
I Peter 1:15-16 -Be holy as God is holy

God expects us to be ever more blameless
God requires that we continue to pursue perfection. It is not a matter of finding it and stopping, but an ongoing process. We must chase after it!
II Corinthians 13:9-11 -Aim for perfection
Philippians 3:7-16 -Press on to take hold, having not achieved perfection
II Peter 3:14-16 -Be diligent to be blameless
Hebrews 12:14 -Make every effort to be holy

God knows we cannot do this on our own
God knows that we cannot do this on our own, and that we need help. For this reason, He has provided us with helps and opportunity to repent.
Romans 3:21-26 -All have sinned, thus we have grace, Christ’s sacrifice
I Corinthians 10:13 -God will prevent too much temptation, will provide a way of escape
Luke 18:9-14 -The one who confessed, asked for mercy and forgiveness, and repented in humility was justified
Acts 3:19 -Repent, that your sins may be blotted out
Philippians 4:13 -I can do all things

God rewards blamelessness
God will reward those who are pure, spotless, undefiled, and blameless. If we wish to receive the rewards, we too much be blameless before Him!
Genesis 5:21-24 -Enoch walked with God
Hebrews 11:5 -Enoch translated so he did not see death
Revelation 21:7 -We will be His people
Revelation 22:12-15 -Inside are the obedient

Sacrifice - 8/28/08pm

In the Old Testament
We’ll take a few minutes to look at some of the offerings that were offered in the Old Testament. We will notice several things about these sacrifices, as well as some things they all have in common.
Genesis 4:1-7 -The sacrifices of Cain and Abel
Leviticus 1:1-5 -Burnt offering from the herd
Leviticus 1:10-11 -Burnt offering from the flock
Leviticus 1:14-15 -Burnt offering of birds
Leviticus 2:1, 4, 7, 11-12 -Grain offerings
Leviticus 3:1-2 -Peace offering from the herd
Leviticus 3:6-8 -Peace offering from the flock
Leviticus 3:12-13 -Peace offering of a goat
Leviticus 4:1-7 -Sin offering
I Samuel 15:22-23 -Saul’s wrong sacrifice, Samuel’s response
Hebrews 10:1-10 -The sacrifices of the Old Law foreshadow Christ

Of the Perfect Lamb
The blood of bulls and goats could not atone for the sins of man. However, we do have a perfect atoning sacrifice for our sins.
Ephesians 5:2 -Christ’s loving sacrifice was a pleasing aroma to God
Isaiah 53:1-12 -As a lamb he was led to the slaughter
I Peter 1:17-21 -Christ’s atoning sacrifice
Mankind had been used to offering sacrifices to God. But now we see that God made a sacrifice for man! And we see the same attributes applied to the Old Testament sacrifices applied to our Lord.

Of Ourselves
Sometimes it is difficult to make sacrifice of what we have. Yet for many things, and for many people, we are willing to make sacrifices. Parents often sacrifice for their children. We may make sacrifices for friends. But above all, we must be willing to offer ourselves as a sacrifice for God.
Romans 11:28-12:2 -Because of God’s love and our change, be a sacrifice
Luke 14:25-27 -We must be willing to give up all else to follow Christ
Philippians 3:1-11 -Paul was willing to count all as loss, for the sake of Christ

Our sacrifice, our life, should be offered to the Lord.
-It should be of our best, not what is left over.
-It should be done obediently, as He wants it, not as we want it.
-It should be appropriate and al encompassing.-It should be because He has already sacrificed for us.
We must be willing to give up the things we treasure most, if necessary. We must be willing to live a life dedicated, set apart, to His service. We must strive to be the unblemished sacrifice.

Repentance - 8/3/08am

Joel 2:12-14 Rend you heart, not your garments

What is repentance?
II Corinthians 7:8-12 Godly sorrow leads to repentance - action
II Corinthians 12:19-21 Paul afraid the Corinthians haven’t repented
Being “sorry” isn’t the same as repentance:
Matthew 27:3-5 Judas is sorrowful

What does repentance accomplish?
I Kings 8:46-51 Solomon prays that God will forgive the penitent
Jonah 3:1-10 Nineveh repents and is spared by God
Acts 3:17-19 Repent so your sins may be washed away
Romans 2:5-11 God’s consequences for (non)repentance

Who needs to repent?
Romans 3:23 All have sinned and fallen short
II Peter 3:9 All should come to repentance
Acts 17:30 God commands all to repent
II Samuel 12:1-23 Even David, a man after God’s own heart, needed to repent.
-Repentance does not mean there will be no consequences

How do we repent?
Judges 2:6-19 When people turned back to God, away from sin, He helped them
Acts 26:19-20 Perform deeds appropriate to repentance
Acts 8:18-24 Simon repents through prayer and action

When should we repent?
Romans 13:11-14 The time is at hand
I Thessalonians 4:13-5:3 The day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night
James 4:13-17 Life is short, so do good

Baptism - 7/20/08am

Hebrews 6:1-2 -Baptism is an elementary principle

While we must move on beyond elementary principles, it is good to occasionally remind ourselves of them, so that we can more easily recall the details so that we may better teach others. Baptism, being a point that is hotly contested in the world, is worthy of examination.

What is baptism?
What is baptism? It’s a word that is misunderstood by many. It is the transliterated Greek word baptizo. It means “to immerse” or “to dip.” It can also mean “to wash” based on it’s primary meaning: people would wash things by putting them in water.
Acts 8:38-39 -Down into the water
Matthew 3:16 -Came up out of the water
Mark 14:20 -“Dips” - embaptomeno (same root word)

It is to fulfill all righteousness
The Bible teaches us that baptism is necessary for righteousness’ sake. Christ was baptized for that very reason. Christ set us an example, so that we might understand the importance of it.
Matthew 3:15 -Christ baptized to fulfill all righteousness
I Peter 2:21 -Follow in Christ’s example

It grants forgiveness of sins
One of the primary purposes of baptism is so that a person might be forgiven of sins. Some people teach that baptism is for other purposes. Let us examine what the scriptures teach!
Acts 2:38 -Baptized for the forgiveness of sins
Matthew 26:28 -Christ’s blood is shed for the forgiveness of sins
Acts 10:43 -Belief is for the forgiveness of sins
Acts 22:16 -Washing away your sins

It is a commandment
It is something that is ordered. If we want to follow Christ, we must be obedient to His will and follow His commandments. Anything else, and we will be lacking.
Acts 22:16 -Not only washes away sins, but DO THIS
Acts 10:47-48 -Peter ordered the first gentile believers to be baptized
II John 6 -Love is walking in His commandments
I Corinthians 16:22 -Anyone who does not love the Lord…


It is a burial
While the burial concept also implies immersion, there is another point being made here. It is in baptism that we put away our old self: our selfish lusts and sins, and rise anew as a Christian. It is tied to the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord.
Romans 6:1-7 -Buried/united in His death, united in His resurrection
Colossians 2:12 -Having been buried with Him in baptism

It is necessary to put on Christ
We all want to put on Christ, yes? We all want Christ to live in us? Then we must be baptized.
Galatians 3:26-27 -Those who were baptized have put on Christ
Galatians 2:20 -Crucified with Christ, now Christ lives in me

It is how to be added to the church
If we want to be added to the Lord’s church, we must be baptized. The Lord’s body is made up of those who are saved: those who are baptized. You may attend a worship service with other people, but if you are not baptized, you are not a part of His church.
Acts 2:41 -Those being baptized were added by the Lord
Acts 2:47 -Those being saved were added by the Lord

It is necessary for salvation
Just as we saw that it washes away sins, adds you to the church, and fulfills all righteousness, the Bible plainly states that it is necessary for salvation.
Mark 16:16 -He that believes and is baptized will be saved
I Peter 3:21 -It now saves you

God's Full Plan of Salvation -7/6/08am

We are often faced with the plan of salvation. We attempt to teach it to those in the world, we teach it to each other, and it is brought up at least once each service. Many denominations have an abbreviated view of salvation. Most say that one simply needs to believe. Some say that all is necessary is a sprinkling of water. I have talked to some who say that if you believe you will go somewhere when you die, then you will go there – in other words, that you create your own heaven (I guess that means that if your heaven is Toledo, Ohio, then you go to Toledo when you die). Here are the “5 steps of salvation,” as they are often called.

1. Hear
Romans 10:14-17
Proverbs 28:9
Isaiah 55:3
Acts 11:14

2. Believe
Romans 5:1
Hebrews 11:6
John 3:16; 8:24
Acts 16:31

3. Repent
Luke 13:3
2 Corinthians 7:10
Acts 2:38; 3:19; 11:18; 17:30

4. Confess
Mt 10:32-33
Luke 9:26
Rom 10:9-10
Acts 8:36-37

5. Baptism
1 Peter 3:21
Mk 16:16
Acts 2:38


Sometimes an adventurous person will throw in a sixth step – “continued obedience” or “remain faithful.”
Remain Faithful
Matthew 10:22
Revelation 14:12

A while back, my dad taught a class on salvation and condemnation. He was given some material to use in teaching, and he discovered an interesting thing. Nowhere in the material was the word “grace” to be found!

While I understand that this serves for initial conversion, I think that we are leaving a few things out. Perhaps we often forget that our life as a Christian is not a checklist. Here’s a list I’ve compiled of things that the Bible says are for salvation. This is by no means complete. I’m sure I missed things in my search.

God Has Provided

Father Isa 12:2; Tit 3:4-5; Rom 6:23; 8:33; 1 Ti 4:10; Eph 3:8-11
Son Mt 1:21; 1 Ti 1:15; Heb 5:8-9; Lk 19:10
Holy Spirit 1 Cor 6:11; Jn 14:26; 16:7-13; Eph 6:17
Grace Acts 15:11; Rom 3:24; Eph 2:8-9; Tit 2:11-12
Love Jn 3:16; 1 Jn 4:7
Mercy Tit 3:5
Hope Rom 8:24; Tit 1:2
Life of Christ Rom 5:10
Cross 1 Cor 1:18; Gal 6:14
Blood 1 Jn 1:7; Rom 5:8-9; Eph 1:7,13-14; Heb 9:22; 1 Pe 1:18-19; Mt 26:28
Name of Christ Jn 20:30-31; Acts 4:10-12; 10:43
Bible (Gospel) Rom 1:16-17; Jas 1:21; 1 Cor 15:1-4; 1 Pe 1:23
Preachers/Messengers 1 Cor 1:21; Mk 16:15; 2 Th 2:14
Truth John 8:32; 2 Thess 2:10

Man Must Respond

Hear (Words) Rom 10:14-17; Prov 28:9; Isa 55:3; Acts 11:14
Faith (Believe) Rom 5:1; Heb 11:6; Jn 3:16; 8:24; Acts 16:31
Repent Lk 13:3; 2 Cor 7:10; Acts 2:38; 3:19; 11:18; 17:30
Confess Mt 10:32-33; Lk 9:26; Rom 10:9-10; Acts 8:36-37
Baptism 1 Pe 3:21; Mk 16:16; Acts 2:38
Works Jas 2:24; 1 Jn 3:24; Jn 6:28-29
Obedience Heb 5:8-9
Endurance Mt 10:22; Rev 2:10
Ourselves Acts 2:40

Implied

Fear Ps 111:10; Prov 1:7; Prov 9:10
Eagerness/Diligence 2 Ti 2:15; 2 Pet. 1:10
Study Ezra 7:10; Jn 5:36-39