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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:
"I'm Not Ashamed to Own
My Lord"
An Evening Prayer
Sermon Outlines:
Noteworthy News:
Burying a Pope
"I'm Not Ashamed to Own My Lord"
Joe R. Price
Sometimes people do not
understand why Christians believe and live the way we do. This is one
reason to be teaching others the gospel. Like God our Savior, Christians
want those around them to know about the salvation that is in Christ so
they, too, can be saved (1 Tim. 2:3-4). This is one reason why God teaches
us to be ready always to give an answer to others when they ask us about our
hope in Christ (1 Pet. 3:15).
Have you ever been ashamed of
something? If so, you know that it is not a good feeling. But, has
somebody, maybe somebody you loved and thought a great deal of, ever been
ashamed of you? How did that make you feel? If you are like most people
you probably didn’t feel good about it at all.
Jesus was not ashamed to die for
us. He willingly suffered great pain and humiliation so that we can be
freed from our sins and be eternally saved. His love for us caused Him to
endure much pain and mistreatment. Wherever we are and whatever we are
doing, we must not be ashamed to follow Jesus and obey His commandments.
Think how Jesus must feel when we act ashamed of Him around our friends.
Remember what happened when Peter denied knowing Jesus (Luke 22:54-62)?
Jesus saw Peter’s shameful denial. And, Peter knew he had sinned, and
thankfully he repented of his shame of being known as a follower of Jesus.
When we are ashamed of Jesus, do we weep bitterly, like Peter, repenting of
our sin?
Jesus wants us to be ready to
stand up for what is right, even if it means being rejected by our friends
(1 Cor. 15:58; 1 Pet. 4:4). This is not always easy to do, but it is the
right thing to do. God has promised to reward those who endure such
temptations (Jas. 1:12). If we are ashamed of Jesus before others, He will
be ashamed of us when He returns: “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My
words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also
will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy
angels” (Mark 8:38).
Jesus is not ashamed to call us
His brethren (Heb. 2:11-12). Don’t be ashamed to live for Him. “Stand up,
stand up for Jesus!”
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An Evening Prayer
Joe R. Price
Prayer in the
evening is a special blessing given the people of God. The labors of the
day tire us, but the expressions of the heart turned heavenward comfort the
weary soul.
Many of King
David’s Psalms are in the form of prayers, including Psalms 4. In this
evening prayer, David is confident that God hears the prayers of the godly
even when ungodly men place obstacles before him. How wonderful to know
“the Lord will hear when I call to Him” (Psa. 4:3).
The evening is an
important time to pray. Nighttime gives an opportunity to remember the
blessings that came that day from God’s hand (Col. 4:2). David was mindful
of God’s bounty, so in the evening he prayed with gladness and thanksgiving
to God: “There
are many who say,
‘Who will show us any good?’ LORD, lift up the light of Your countenance
upon us. You have put gladness in my heart, more than in the season that
their grain and wine increased”
(Psa. 4:5-7). Each
night, let us join David in expressions of thankful trust in God, our
Sustainer.
When the day is
over we look for the peace of restful sleep. David found true and lasting
peace in the assurance of God’s mercy and protection: “Hear me when I
call, O God of my righteousness! You have relieved me in my distress; Have
mercy on me, and hear my prayer…I will both lie down in peace, and sleep;
For You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety (Psa. 4:1, 8). Trusting
God is the essence of faith. It is believing that all God has said will
come to pass. Trust obeys, knowing that God rules, and all is well. There
is no greater comfort or deeper rest for those who put their faith in God
than the rest the Lord gives His people. With Isaiah, our faith affirms,
“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he
trusts in You” (Isa. 26:3).
The evening is a
moment in time when we can meditate on how we lived that day; a pause in
time, calculated to calm our heart and correct every sin against man and
God: “Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your
bed, and be still” (Psa. 4:4, KJV). Do not go to sleep with sin in your
heart; pray for God’s forgiveness and calm your soul.
Remember your
evening prayers. Thank God for His blessings of mercy, sustenance and
protection. Thank Him for saving you from your sins. Ask for His safety
through the night and His aid in the coming day. Seek His forgiveness of
every sin: “…know that the LORD has set apart for Himself him who is
godly; The LORD will hear when I call to Him…I will both lie down in peace,
and sleep; For You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety” (Psa. 8:3,
8)
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You can find the
complete outline of this sermon at
BIBLE ANSWERS
Teaching the Gospel to the Lost
Scripture Reading:
Matthew 9:35-38
I. THE CALL TO TEACH THE LOST
– Acts 8:4.
A.
Universal Call – Matt. 28:19-20; Rom. 10:13-15.
B. Urgent Call – Jno. 4:34-35; Acts 16:9-10.
II.
THREE “Cs” TO TEACHING THE LOST
– Matt. 9:35-38 (Lk. 15).
A. Be
Conscious of the Lost – 9:36, 37.
B. Have Compassion for the Lost – 9:36.
C. Be Committed to Teaching – 9:37-38.
III. THE
COURAGE TO TEACH THE LOST:
Learning from Moses.
A.
Anxiety/Fear is One of Satan’s Schemes “that it spread no further” – Acts
4:17-20.
B. Anxiety & its Remedies:
1. Over Potential: “Who am I?” Exo. 3:11. ANS.: God’s presence
& power, Exo. 3:12
2. Over Answers: “What shall I say to them?” Exo. 3:13 ANS.:
God’s answers, Exo. 3:14-15 (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2:15; 1 Pet. 3:15).
3. Over Rejection: “They won’t believe me!” Exo. 4:1 ANS.:
Trust gospel message, Exo. 4:2-9 (Heb. 2:3-4; 1 Cor. 1:18).
4. Over Ability: “I’m not eloquent,” Exo. 4:10. ANS.: God
gives abilities, Exo. 4:11-12.
5. Over Reluctance: “Send someone else,” Exo. 4:13. ANS.: God
provides, Exo. 4:14-17.
IV. WHAT
IS THE RIGHT METHOD?
A. Not
One “Right” Method to Exclusion of Others: Emphasize Message, not Method,
Jno. 4:4-26; Acts 8:29-35; 16:25-34; 17:19…
B. Good Material Available: Use it.
C. Start w/ People you Know, Jno. 1:40-42; Acts 5:28 (Jno. 4:7); Acts
17:6 (Rom. 1:15).
D. Help Make the Application, Acts 2:36-37.
Top
For more on Jehovah's
Witnesses, please go to
http://www.bibleanswer.com/jwitnesses8.htm
Jehovah's Witnesses
Scripture Reading:
Isaiah 43:8-13
I. WHO ARE THEY?
A.
Origin: Rooted in “Second Adventism” of Wm. Russell (cf. 7th-day
Adventists); Founder: Charles Taze Russell (1852-1916).
B. Organizational Structure (Ac 14:23).
C. Name: Jehovah’s Witnesses (1931); Isa. 43:10; Acts 11:26; 1:8; 4:12.
II. SOME
KEY DOCTRINES.
A. God
(concept of God is fundamentally flawed).
1. Name of God: Jehovah; Exo. 3:13-15.
2. Jehovah is not a plural God; Rom. 1:20; Gen. 1:1, 26; Exo. 3:14-15;
Deut. 6:4.
B. Jesus: Deny deity of Jesus Christ (not equal with Jehovah); a created
being, Jno. 8:58; 1:1; 20:28 (Heb. 1:8-9; Col. 2:9); 5:17-18; 10:30, 33-36;
Col. 1:15-18; Jno. 5:23; 1 Jno. 2:23.
C. Holy Spirit: Not God (God’s active force); Acts 5:3-4; 1 Cor. 2:11;
12:11; Jno. 16:13.
D. Man:
1. Man does not have an immortal soul; Gen. 2:7; Eccl. 12:7; Matt.
10:28.
2. The dead are unconscious because they no longer exist; Eccl. 9:5-6,
10; Lk. 16:19-31.
3. There is no eternal hell (place of eternal punishment); Rom. 2:6-11;
Matt. 25:41, 46; Mk. 9:43-48; Matt. 10:28.
E. Earth an Eventual Paradise Forever; 2 Pet. 3:4-13 (Rev. 7:1-4;
7:9-17).
III.
QUESTIONS FOR JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES.
Concl.
Jehovah’s Witnesses honor a false
God, dishonor the true Christ & hold out a false hope for mankind.
Top
NOTEWORTHY NEWS
(Current events in the
light of Scripture)
Burying a
Pope
Joe R. Price
I did not see the funeral of John
Paul II. But having only briefly seen the TV news reports and read some
Internet news, we can summarize at least some of the things associated with
it that are not found in the Bible. This saddens us, since so many people
put their hope in a man and a system of faith that is foreign to the word of
God. Our intent is not to disrespect the dead, but to respect the word of
the living God more than any man, dead or alive. Hence, from the Bible we
take issue with the papal burial ceremony because it involved:
1. A false church. The
Roman Catholic Church is not the church Jesus built (Matt. 16:18). Its
organization, doctrine and rituals are degenerative departures from “the
word of the truth of the gospel” that testify of a falling away from
“the faith” (Col. 1:5; 1 Tim. 4:1-3). Its papacy did not begin with
Peter, but with the traditions of men (Acts 10:25-26).
2. A false worship.
The Catholic Mass, supposedly offering the body and blood of Jesus for its
participants, blasphemes the sufficiency of Jesus’ sacrifice for sin (Heb.
10:11-12). There is no changing of substances from bread to body and wine
to blood, no “sacrament” of grace; more vain traditions (not to mention
burning incense, prayers to Mary and “saints,” etc.) (Matt. 15:7-9).
3. A false hope. The
hope of the Catholic masses is that John Paul II is looking down from
heaven, now interceding on behalf of humanity before the Almighty. No,
there is only one Intercessor for mankind, Jesus Christ (Rom. 8:34; Heb.
7:25). Our hope is not in “the church,” “the pope” or “church tradition,”
but in Jesus Christ the Lord (Heb. 6:17-20).
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