Gospel Meeting September 9-13, 2009

THE MT. BAKER
CHURCH OF CHRIST
(1860 Mt. Baker Highway, Bellingham, WA)

Invites you to our

GOSPEL MEETING

with Evangelist

Dennis Ross

(Moscow, Idaho)

Back to the Bible Preaching!

September 9–13, 2009

Wednesday - Saturday:  7:00 PM
(Sunday, Sept 13th at  9:30 & 10:30 AM, 6:00 PM)

                                                 (From I-5 take Exit # 255 and go East 4.2 miles)
                                                 more information:  please call (360) 752-2692

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Being Faithful to God
Joe R. Price

Why are many Christians being lost to false doctrine? Why are many Christians leaving their first love in order to love this world and its pleasures?

There are many Biblical answers to these questions. For example, a lack of knowledge of God’s word causes spiritual collapse (Hosea 4:6). Some have never been grounded in the faith (Col 2:6-7). Again, some yield to the temptations of the flesh and are drown in a sea of harmful lusts (1 Tim 6:9). Others have been taught that doctrine is not all that important; especially when compared to qualities like love. This is a false comparison being offered up to comfort people in spite of their sinful error. Jesus said, “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you”, and “if you love Me, keep My commandments (Jno 15:12; 14:15). Love itself is doctrine which we must obey.

Christians must remain faithful in every area of our lives. Having been justified by faith, it is also by faith that we have access “into this grace in which we stand” (Rom 5:1-2). Standing in God’s grace means that we purposely choose that sin will no longer rule over us (read Rom 6:1-2, 6-18). The grace in which we stand teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly lust and to live “soberly, righteously and godly in the present age” (Tit 2:11-12).

Being unfaithful to God forfeits the grace of God. The word of God says Christians can fall short of God’s grace: “looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled” (Heb 12:15). The Bible says Christians can fall from grace: “You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace” (Gal 5:4).

Christians can be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin and develop “an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God” (Heb 3:12-13). Note the conditional nature of partaking of Christ in the next verse: “For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end” (Heb 3:14). What follows is an explanation of being faithful to God to “hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end” (Heb 3:14).

Being faithful to God means obeying the word of God. God swore in His wrath to Israel (“those who did not obey” Him) that they would not enter His rest (the land of Canaan, Heb 3:17-18). Now, look closely at Hebrews 3:19: “So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief”. Israel’s disobedience is equated to unbelief. It is not surprising that Jesus said, “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do the things which I say” (Lk 6:46). The people of God must do what God says or else they do not actually believe what God says.

Christians who do not obey God now cannot expect to be blessed with an eternal home later. Israel dying in the wilderness should teach us that lesson and forever banish to the wilderness the false doctrine of “once saved always saved”.

Some Christians live like they believe the false doctrine of once saved always saved. Sin is not a possibility in their mind. They have good intentions, so therefore, nothing is amiss. (How foolish and false such a view is, Prov 16:25). These Christians disobey God as if it were their right to do so. And, how dare you point it out to them! The truth is, unless we obey God we are not being faithful to Him.

We must hear God’s word with faith in order to be faithful to God. “Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it” (Heb 4:1-2). Hearing God’s word but not obeying it is of no profit. When we hear God’s word (spoken to us by His Son through His apostles – the New Testament, Heb 1:2; Lk 10:16) we must believe it enough to obey it. Otherwise, we have a profitless and dead faith (cf. Jas 2:14-17).

Being faithful to God solves the problem of falling away. Being faithful to God depends on being grounded in the faith (Col 2:6-7). We must know the word of God in order to obey God (Eph 3:3-5; 5:17; 2 Tim 2:15). Being faithful to God means we will cast off the works of darkness and “put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provisions for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts” (Rom 13:12-14). Being faithful to God means we will “hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim 1:13).

Being faithful to God brings an eternal reward (2 Tim 4:7-8). Being unfaithful to Him brings eternal death (Rev 20:8). Faithless Israel teaches Christians to be faithful: “Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience” (Heb 4:11).

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You can find the complete outline of this sermon at BIBLE ANSWERS

On Judgment Day

1. Wild speculations and false predictions have always swirled around the Lord’s return and the day of judgment, 2 Ths 2:1-2; 2 Tim 2:18.
2. Christians have been fully armed with the truth about “the times and the seasons” (the coming of Jesus) so we are prepared when the Lord comes. 1 Ths 5:1-2

I. THE EVENTS OF JUDGMENT DAY.

  A. Resurrection of all the Dead, Jno 5:28-29 (Acts 24:15).
  B. The Judge Will Appear, Matt 25:31; 1 Ths 4:16; 2 Ths 1:7-8 (1 Tim 1:17; 6:16; Rev 20:11); 2 Cor 5:10.
  C. All People will be Gathered and Stand before God, Matt 25:31; Rev 20:12 (2 Cor 5:10).
  D. The Earth and its Works Burned Up, 2 Pet 3:7, 10.
  E. Books will be Opened, Rev 20:12; Jno 12:48-50; Rev 20:12, 15; cf. Mal 3:16.
  F. Each Person will be Judged by the Divine Standard, Rev 20:12; Matt 25:19; Rom 14:11-12 [Heart, 1 Cor 4:5; words, Matt 12:36-37; deeds, 2 Cor 5:10.
  G. Each Person will Receive their Just Reward, Rom 2:5-11.
  H. Eternal Sentence will be Pronounced and Executed, Matt 25:31-34, 41, 46.

II. HOW THIS MUST AFFECT US.

  A. Repent and Obey God Now! Acts 17:30-31
  B. Live Godly, 2 Pet 3:14 (11-12).
  C. Be Patient: Wait on the Lord, Jas 5:7-11 (Rom 12:17-21; 2 Ths 1:4-8; 1 Pet 1:3-5, 7-9; Rev 14:12-13.

Conclusion
  Judgment delayed is not judgment escaped! 2 Pet 3:7-9; Matt 10:28; Heb 10:31; 12:29

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NOTEWORTHY NEWS
(Current events in the light of Scripture)

The "Wicked" Bible
Joe R. Price

In 1631 a reprint of the King James Bible was made, but it contained an error in Exodus 20:14 and read, “Thou shalt commit adultery”. It became known as the “Wicked Bible”. 1,000 Bibles were published before the error was discovered. The printers were fined 300 pounds (a huge sum in those days), and King Charles I ordered the Bibles destroyed. Today, only 11 are known to exist worldwide; one at the New York Public Library, though it is almost never displayed. (The Gadsden Times, 12Aug09).

The way people manipulate and take license with God’s word today you would think every Bible is “wicked”. For example:

     1) “You shall not commit adultery” is still rejected (Rom 13:9). Jesus said to divorce for a cause other than fornication and then to marry another is to commit adultery (Matt 19:9). Yet, most religious people approve of divorce for any reason and remarry, believing such is approved by God. It is not. Producing a “wicked Bible” will not change God’s truth.

     2) “Flee fornication” is not obeyed (1 Cor 6:18). Sexual immorality is viewed as moral in our society. Homosexuality (which is a form of fornication, 1 Cor 6:9; Rom 1:24-27) is gaining wider acceptance. Yet, it is still sin in the sight of God. Producing a “wicked Bible” will not change God’s truth.

     3) “He who believes and is baptized will be saved” is regularly rejected (Mk 16:16). The sinner who “will be saved” is the one who believes and is baptized. Many say it should be reprinted to read, “He who believes is saved and will be baptized”. That’s a big difference!

Every doctrine that changes what the word of God says is “wicked” because it destroys souls (2 Pet 3:16). It is wicked to twist the Scriptures.

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Created by Chuck Sibbing.  08/30/2009