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"...Shepherd the flock of God which is among
you, serving as overseers..." (1 Peter 5:2)
Elders
Morris Bass, Rick Holt , Joe
Price |
"...let them serve as deacons,
being found blameless..." (1 Tim. 3:10)
Deacons
Aaron Bass, Rich Brooks, Mike Finn
John Hague, Dan Head |
"And take...the sword of
the Spirit, which is the word of God" (Eph. 6:17)
In this issue:
History Says:
Congregational Singing (Larry Ray Hafley)
The Modus Operandi of
False Teachers
Sermon Outlines:
History Says: Congregational Singing
Larry Ray Hafley
In the
Old Path Guide of July, 1879 (exactly 125 years ago as I type this-LRH),
Frank G. Allen, in an article entitled, “The Church - Its Worship,” and
under the heading, “Singing,” wrote:
Their singing
was a real heart-service, and consisted of “psalms and hymns, and
spiritual songs” (Eph. 5:19, 20; Col. 3:16). In this delightful service, the
whole congregation doubtless took part. “The psalms of David were chiefly
used in the ancient church.”
It has been
contended recently, that the singing of the first churches was not
congregational, and therefore our congregational singing is as unauthorized
as any musical performance in the worship. The facts of history are clearly
against this statement. In his Ancient Christianity Exemplified, than
which no work known to us contains more reliable information with reference
to the primitive Church, Dr. Lyman Coleman says:
The prevailing mode
of singing during the first three centuries was congregational. The
whole congregation united their voices in the sacred song of praise in
strains suited to their ability....The most ancient and the most common mode
of singing was confessedly for the whole assembly, men, women, and children,
to blend their voices in their songs of praise in the great congregation.
Such is the testimony of Hilary of Augustin and Chrysostom. “Formerly all
came together and united in their song, as is still our custom.” “Men and
women, the aged and the young, were distinguished only by their skill in
singing, for the spirit which led the voice of each one, blended all in one
harmonious melody.”
Comments:
Not history, not quotations from ancient authorities (no matter their
esteemed integrity and reliability, nor the depth of their scholastic
credibility), but the Scriptures are our authority (Col. 3:16, 17; 1
Pet. 4:11). Yet, it is refreshing to view again another testimony to the
divine plan as announced and pronounced by the Spirit of God and followed by
the saints throughout the sorrowing centuries. The echoes of the songs of
Zion resound and reverberate down through the corridors of time. Their
melody is picked up by the ear of faith and put to the lips of the faithful
who sing anew the timeless songs of both antiquity and eternity. May it ever
be so. Then, on the other side of the moon and stars, when we blend our
voices with angelic armies and heavenly hosts and sing the song of Moses and
the Lamb, it will indeed ever be so!
Top
The Modus Operandi of False Teachers
Joe R. Price
False
teachers do not carry about a banner proclaiming their occupation. The
New Testament repeatedly warns us of the stealth by which false teachers
gain access to the hearts and lives of the unsuspecting (Gal. 2:4; 2
Pet. 2:1; Jude 4). After first warning of the crafty nature by which
false teachers gain a foothold among the saints, Jude describes them
throughout much of the rest of his book (Jude 3-13). By what Jude
wrote, the Holy Spirit assures us that God will punish those who teach
error (Jude 14-16). It matters to God what we teach (1 Pet. 4:11). It
ought to matter to us (1 Tim. 4:16; 2 Tim. 4:2-5).
Jesus
taught us to beware of false prophets, reminding us that we “will know
them by their fruits” (Matt. 7:15-20). God’s word equips us to
recognize the purveyors of error so that we can turn away from them (2 Tim.
3:1-5; Rom. 16:17). Jude 11 names three men who epitomize the attitudes and
conduct of those who abandon “the faith which was once for all delivered
to the saints” for doctrines that turn God’s grace into lewdness and
deny Christ (Jude 3-4; Col. 1:5-6; Acts 20:32). Let us briefly consider
Cain, who murdered his brother; Balaam, who counseled Israel to sin; and
Korah, who rebelled against God’s leader.
From Cain
we learn to never be presumptuous before God.
While Abel offered his sacrifice to God by faith, Cain presumed that his
offering was sufficient (Heb. 11:4). False teachers offer to God what they
have chosen to be acceptable instead of what God has commanded He will
approve. In so doing, the false teacher acts arrogantly and presumptuously
toward God’s word. Driven by presumption rather than humble and faithful
obedience, “the way of Cain” is also cluttered with the immoral
debris of hatred, murder and lies (1 Jno. 3:11-12). The saints of God do
not reject the authority of God’s word, but in faith, obey it (Jude 8).
From
Balaam we learn to avoid evil motives.
Balaam “loved the hire of wrong-doing” and successfully counseled
Israel to commit idolatry (2 Pet. 2:15, ASV; Num. 31:16; 25:1-3). Not
content with God blessing Israel, he sought and found a way to achieve his
objective of self-profit to the detriment of God’s people (Num. 22-24). It
continues to be so with false teachers. Selfish motives and self-serving
interests have causes many to advocate error and foist it upon unsuspecting
souls (Rom. 16:18; Phil. 3:18-19).
From Korah
we learn the danger of gainsaying.
Korah led a rebellion against Moses and Aaron, but it was really against
God Himself. He and his companions were not satisfied with the role God had
given them in the service of the tabernacle (Num. 16:8-10). They wanted
more. The priesthood and leadership over the people of God was their
objective (Num. 16:10, 3). The definition of gainsay is to “contradict,
oppose, lit., say against” (Vine’s, 260). A gainsayer seeks to gain
the advantage over people or over a situation through opposition.
Gainsaying is rebellion against the Lord and His revealed will and purposes
(Num. 16:8-11, 28). This reminds us of Diotrephes in 3 John 9-10. The
gainsayer yearns for prominence and power. Humility is foreign to him. The
gainsayer is not content with God’s ways. He presses for new and different
arrangements of the divine order. In doing so, like Korah who perished, he
“despise(s) Jehovah” (Num. 16:30).
None are
immune from the temptations to which these three men succumbed. We must be
vigilant against presumption toward God’s will. We must abandon greedy
motives that satisfy self while destroying souls. And, we must always be
content with God’s revealed way of doing things. “If anyone comes to you
and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor
greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds” (2 Jno.
10-11; cf. Gal. 1:6-10; 1 Cor. 4:6).
Top
You can find the
complete outline of this sermon at
BIBLE ANSWERS
The Kingdom of God
Scripture Reading: Acts 28:23-31
“…he explained and solemnly
testified of the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus from both
the Law of Moses and the Prophets…”
(Acts 28:23); cf. Matt. 13:11
I.
DEFINITION.
·
Know the mysteries of the
kingdom – Eph. 1:9-11; Col. 1:24-27
·
Kingdom: Sovereign rule &
reign of God in the lives of men & women (Matt. 6:33; Lk. 17:20-21)
·
The church of Christ is
the kingdom of Christ (Matt. 16:18-19; Col. 1:13; Psa. 110:3; 1 Pet. 2:9;
Rev. 1:6; 5:9-10)
·
The salvation of God is
obtained in the kingdom of God (Acts 28:23, 28)
II. USAGE.
·
The kingdom: Matt. 8:12
·
Kingdom of heaven: Matt.
8:11; 13:11
·
Kingdom of God: Mark
4:11; Eph. 5:5
·
Kingdom of Christ: Luke
1:33; 22:29-30; Jno. 18:36; Eph. 5:5; Col. 1:13
III. APPLICATIONS:
·
“Kingdom of heaven” and
“kingdom of God” are equivalent: Matt. 13:11; Mk. 4:11
·
Nature of kingdom – Jn.
18:36; Lk.17:20-21
·
Kingdom exists – Col.
1:13; Heb. 12:28; Rev. 1:9; et al.
·
Kingdom never destroyed –
Dan. 2:44; Heb. 12:28; 1 Cor. 15:24-28; 2 Pet. 1:11
·
The everlasting kingdom of
heaven is prepared for the faithful – Matt. 25:34; 2 Pet. 1:11
Conclusion – Heb.
12:28; Acts 8:12
Top
You can find the
complete outline of this sermon at
BIBLE ANSWERS
Water Baptism: Its Purposes and
Designs (Part 4)
Scripture Reading: Romans 6:1-7
I. BAPTISM’S DESIGN WITH
REGARD TO SIN & SALVATION.
A.
Baptism is for (in order to) Remission of Sins – Acts 2:38 (Mk. 16:16); 1
Jno. 3:4; Rom. 6:23 (Acts 8:12-13, 18-24)
-Objection: eis means “because of”, not “in order to” – But….Matt.
26:28.
B. Point of Turning from Sin to Salvation – Acts 2:38; 3:19 (22:16);
9:35; 11:21; Jas. 2:18, 24; Acts 2:40; 1 Ths. 1:9 (Acts 17:4; 2:40-41).
II.
BAPTISM’S DESIGN WITH REGARD TO THE SINNER & CHRIST.
A.
Baptized into Christ, Rom. 6:3; Gal. 3:27.
-In Christ is found all spir. blgs. (Eph. 1:3) B. Baptized into Death
of Christ – Rom. 6:3; 5:8-10.
III.
BAPTISM’S DESIGN WITH REGARD TO THE SINNER.
A.
Baptized into Death to Sin (one dies to sin) – Rom. 6:4-7, 8-11 (Col.
2:11-12).
B. Baptism is the Appeal of a Good Conscience toward God, 1 Pet. 3:21
(He10:19-22)
IV.
BAPTISM’S DESIGN WITH REGARD TO THE CHURCH.
A. We
have been Baptized into One Body, the Church – 1 Cor. 12:12-13; Acts 2:41,
47.
Conclusion
God’s design
for baptism: An action of faith that secures God’s forgiveness of sins
through Christ – Acts 22:16.
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