And take…the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:17
THE
SPIRIT’S
SWORD
Volume 16, Number
03
04/14/2013
Published
by
Mt. Baker
church of Christ
Location:
1860 Mt. Baker HWY
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 30821
Bellingham, WA 98228
(360) 752-2692
Sunday:
Bible Classes..........9:30 AM
Worship..10:30AM; 6:00PM
Wednesday:
Bible Classes.........7:00 PM
All sing last Wednesday
Web sites:
Mt. Baker church
Bible Answers
Editor......Joe R. Price
Elders
Morris Bass
Rick Holt
Deacons
Aaron Bass
Rich Brooks
Mike Finn
Dan Head
In this issue:
Gospel Meeting April 21-26, 2013
Mt.
Baker church
of Christ
Gospel Meeting
April 21-26, 2013
Evangelist
Dennis
Scroggins
(Lampasas, Texas)
Bible
lessons nightly, Mon-Fri at 7:00 PM
Sunday, April 21st
at
9:30 & 10:30 AM; 6:00 PM
"Practical Lessons for Every Christian"
Sunday Class - The Power of Peer Pressure
Sunday AM – Leavening Power of Sin
Sunday PM – Why do we need Authority Today?
Monday - New Testament Authority in the Present Age
Tuesday – Who has received a love of the truth?
Wednesday – Be Angry and Sin Not!
Thursday – Abstaining from the Appearance of Evil
Friday - Beware of Despair and Bitterness of Heart
Bring
your Bible!
Learn God's will for your life!
Bible questions welcome!
(From
I-5 take Exit # 255 and go East 4.2 miles)
For more information please call (360) 752-2692
Joe R. Price
Satan is real, and he is our adversary. He is the god of this world, a deceiver and the accuser of both God and men (2 Cor. 4:4; 1 Pet. 5:8; Rev. 12:9). He has legions of servants doing his bidding; men and women who appear righteous but who serve darkness (2 Cor. 11:14-15).
These ministers of Satan are not only found outside the body of Christ; they are also in the church of Christ. These people serve their god Satan by teaching false doctrines (2 Pet. 2:1-3; Jude 4). They serve the devil by rejecting the word of God and hindering those who advance the truth (3 Jno. 9-10). They serve Satan by accommodating and excusing immorality instead of rebuking it (Eph. 5:8-11).
It is foolish to think Satan has somehow vanished from the modern scene. Oh, no. It is his very nature to present himself as reasonable, fashionable, wise and caring (see Gen. 3:1-5). This is also true of his servants; they are the “caring” ones, the “reasonable” ones, the “loving” ones (wolves in sheep’s clothing, Matt. 7:15). Remember, the word of God is right and we must conform to it in all things – regardless of what the agents of Satan say and do (Col. 3:17; 1 Pet. 3:13-17).
The devil’s tactics are recognizable today. Even as brethren drift away from the truth, Satan is very adept at convincing them they have not moved at all; it is others who have become “extreme” and “intolerant”. The subject could be the role of women in the church. It could be the subject of immodest dress, participating in the modern dance or accepting social drinking. It could be unscriptural worship or the social gospel. It could be error on divorce and remarriage. Or, it could be broadening fellowship to accept those who teach error on these subjects as well as those who’s teaching and practice comforts and accepts those in error (by the misuse of Romans 14).
Brethren who endorse sin and compromise with those who teach error use Satan’s methods to silence Scriptural objections. We must not be ignorant of these devices of the devil (2 Cor. 2:11).
Marginalize him. “He is difficult that way” or, “he can be extreme at times” may be said to discount Scriptural warnings against error. Perhaps it is true, but the evidence ought to be heard before making and accepting such charges (Jno. 7:51). By what standard is the man measured to be “extreme”, “radical” or “difficult”? Jesus and His apostles would fall into this category by using unholy measurements (cf. Matt. 11:16-19). When faithful brethren who preach and live the whole counsel of God are demonized as extreme, something is terribly wrong (2 Tim. 4:2-4). In order to survive, those who compromise truth must marginalize the one who warns others of them and their error (consider the treatment of Jeremiah, Jer. 20:7-10). With that accomplished, they have an unobstructed path to advance error (Isa. 30:11).
Beloved brethren, we must not marginalize those who call us to walk in its paths (Jer. 6:16-17). Satan wants you to fear being called “extreme”. He wants to silence your voice for truth. He wants to use you to silence others. Do not fall for his sinful scheme!
Ostracize him. Once a person is marginalized it is easier to isolate him and ignore him. Many brethren have moved away from an aggressive defense of the truth and open rebuke of error (Jude 3). They have moved on, saying, “Peace, peace! when there is no peace” (Jer. 6:14-15). To advance their peace policy of positivism, those who sound the battle cry against error must be excluded and ignored. Make no mistake, the spirit of Diotrephes is alive and well today, refusing to receive “workers for the truth” while at the same time accepting and advancing compromisers and false teachers (3 Jno. 8-10). As did their namesake, these raise false accusations and insinuations against the godly in an effort to discredit, demoralize and eliminate the threat they pose to their (the devil’s) agenda.
Neutralize him. This was unsuccessfully tried against Paul: “For his letters, they say, are weighty and powerful, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible” (2 Cor. 10:10). Enemies of the faith try to neutralize the force and influence of the truth by attacking and neutralizing the messengers of the truth. Jesus said it would be so (Jno. 15:18-25; 16:1-4). Do not be discouraged when it happens to you.
If you intend to follow
Christ whatever the cost, please consider this: Do you have the faith and
courage to examine yourself to see whether you have used or are using these
tactics of Satan against others (2 Cor. 13:5)? We will never please God by
using the devices of Satan (2 Cor. 5:9-11).
Top
You can find the complete outline of this sermon
plus PowerPoint and MP3 Audio files at
BIBLE ANSWERS
Scripture Reading:
John 11:45-531. The formal charges
against Jesus to Pilate, Lk. 23:1-5.
2. Jesus was viewed as dangerous to the Jewish nation, and so he had to
be eliminated, Jno. 11: 45-53.
3. In truth, Jesus is “dangerous” to those who refuse to honor and serve
Him.
I. JESUS IS DANGEROUS TO SATAN, 1 Jno. 3:8; 4:4.
A. Jesus Came to Destroy the Works
of the Devil, 1 Jno. 3:8; Matt. 2:16; Lk. 4:28-30; Jno. 11:50; 12:2, 27;
Rev. 12:5.
B. Jesus is more Powerful than
Satan, Sin and Death, 1 Jno. 4:4; Lk. 10:17-18; Matt. 12:22-29; Jno.
12:31-33; Heb. 2:14-15; Rev. 1:18.
C. Dangerous to Sin and
Sinners, Jude 14-15; Rev. 20:10, 14-15.
II. JESUS IS DANGEROUS TO THOSE WHO DO NOT RESPECT AND OBEY THE WORD OF GOD, 1 Pet. 2:7-8; Matt. 21:44-45.
A. Those who Bind Human Traditions
on Others, Jno. 11:48; Matt. 23:13; Gal. 5:1, 13; 6:12-13 (Mk. 7:5-9, 13).
B. False Teachers who Deceive
Souls, 2 Pet. 2:1-3, 9; 2 Cor. 10:2-6; Acts 6:8-10; Rev. 2:20-23.
C. Hypocrites who Pretend to
Follow God, Jno. 11:47; 18:14, 28; 3 Jno. 9-10; Rev. 21:8.
D. Evil People who Refuse to
have Faith, Jno. 11:45-47; 8:23-24; 12:48.
E. Those who try to Prevent
Others from Believing in Jesus, Jno. 11:48; 9:22; Acts 13:6-12.
Conclusion
1. Oh yes, our God is love, 1
Jno. 4:8.
2. Our God is also a consuming fire who punishes all who do not bow
to and serve His Son, Jesus Christ, Heb. 12:29; cf. Psa. 2:8-12.
3. Are you doing that? Or, is Jesus “dangerous” to you?
You can find the complete outline of this sermon plus PowerPoint and MP3 Audio files at BIBLE ANSWERS
The Church: Bless be the Tie that Binds
(Ephesians 6:21-24)
Scripture Reading:
Ephesians 6:21-24
1. Review: The armor of
God, Eph. 6:10-17.
2. Pray for yourself, your brethren and Paul, Eph. 6:18-20.
3. Pray for Paul...for preachers and preaching, 6:19-20.
I. BLESS BE THE TIE THAT BINDS, 6:21-22.
A. Knowing about Each Other
Provides Blessings to Occur, 6:2; Rom. 12:15-16; 1 Pet. 4:15; 1 Cor.
12:25-27.
B. The Reasons Paul Sent
Tychicus to Ephesus Reinforce this Principle, 6:21-22; Col. 4:7, 9.
C. The Example of Tychicus:
Beloved and Faithful, 6:21.
1. Beloved brother: He was
loveable, 1 Jno. 4:7-11; cf. Prov. 18:24.
2. Faithful minister: He was
loyal, trustworthy and dependable, Col. 4:7; Acts 20:4; 2 Cor. 8:23.
(Timothy, Phil. 2:20-23)
II. CLOSING SALUTATION, 6:23-24.
A. The Substance of Blessings,
6:23; Eph. 2:17-22; 3:17-19 (1 Jno. 5:3).
B. The Source: The Father and
Son, 6:23; 1:3.
C. God’s Grace be with All who
Love Christ in Sincerity, 6:24.
Conclusion
1. Redemption is complete in Christ,
Eph. 1:3.
2. Let us be faithful saints and glorify God, Eph. 1:1; 3:21.
NOTEWORTHY NEWS
(Current events in the light of Scripture)
Painless Discipleship
Joe R. Price
Church attendance is down in America (that’s not news). One reason recently noted in a blog is the emphasis on children’s sports activities on Sundays (The Main Reason for Declining Church Attendance: Children’s Sports?, Christianity Today). Parents take their children to play soccer, baseball, football and more instead of Sunday Bible class and worship services. When we moved to Washington over 15 years ago I vividly remember being astonished at the amount of children’s sports being played on Sunday mornings. The huge soccer complex near the church’s meeting place was filled with the evidence that many people worship recreation instead of God on the Lord’s Day.
One way churches are addressing this decline is by rescheduling worship services to accommodate families. By offering Saturday afternoon services they remove Sunday conflicts. Folks are free to do as they please.
Painless discipleship is in vogue. Jesus said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me” (Lk. 9:23). By taking children to sporting events instead of worshiping God we are teaching them they are more important than the Lord. We are teaching them they can make plans that hinder them from putting the Lord first (Matt. 6:33). We are teaching them discipleship is adaptable to “me”.
We must not have an inconsequential view toward attending worship services (Heb. 10:24-25). Does the illness that keeps you from worshiping on Sunday also keep you home from work on Monday? Being a disciple of Christ requires sacrifice; it is not always easy. Children who learn other things are more important than worshiping God will do those other things. So will adults.
Sacrifice is necessary in order to
follow the Savior who sacrificed Himself for us (1 Pet. 2:21; Rom. 12:1-2).
Christians gladly offer themselves to the Lord regardless of personal
inconvenience. Being faithful means always putting the Lord first (Col.
3:1-4).
Created by Chuck Sibbing, last updated. 04/15/2013
The Spirit's Sword is a free,
weekly publication of the Mt. Baker church of Christ, Bellingham, WA
Send all questions, comments and subscriptions to the editor at:
ssword@bibleanswer.com