And take…the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:17
THE
SPIRIT’S
SWORD
Volume 21, Number
33
07/07/2019
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
Rich Brooks
Deacons
Aaron Bass
Shane Bass
Mike Finn
Dan Head
In this issue:
The Judgment of God and the Judgments We Make
Joe R. Price
1 Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. 2 But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things.” (Romans 2:1–2, NKJV)
The fear of being labeled “judgmental” can keep us from judging with “righteous judgment” (Jno. 7:24). It is true that we must be very careful and accurate in the judgments we make. Jesus’ warning to “judge not, that you be not judged” is understood by His explanation that how we judge will be the measure of our own judgment: “For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you” (Matt. 7:1-2). By doing so, He exposed the sin of hypocritical judgments (Matt. 7:5).
Romans 2:1-2 is a clear
condemnation of holding others to moral and religious standards to which we
refuse to hold ourselves. The Jews were “inexcusable” in condemning the
Gentiles while practicing the same sorts of sins (Rom. 2:17-24). Christians
who condemn the sins of others while committing the same sins are
hypocrites, and will not escape God’s judgment of truth. “And do you think
this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same,
that you will escape the judgment of God?” (Rom. 2:3). God’s judgments are
“true and righteous altogether” (Psa. 19:9). We can help others follow God’s
judgments by holding ourselves to His judgments of truth (Matt. 7:3-5; Gal.
6:1-2). When we don’t, we run the real danger of hindering the salvation of
others (Matt. 18:6-7; Rom. 2:21-24).
The Church of Christ
(Part 1)
Joe R. Price
The “church of Christ” is not a denomination, therefore, “church of Christ” is not a denominational title. “Church of Christ” denotes possession or ownership – it is the church that belongs to Christ. Jesus said, “I will build my church,” and that is exactly what He did. Jesus built the church of Christ (Matt. 16:18).
The church of Christ belongs to Jesus Christ, not to men. Denominations belong to those who start them and maintain them, but the church of Christ belongs to Christ. This is because:
1) Christ built His church, Matt. 16:18;
2) Christ loved His church
and died for her, Eph. 5:25-27;
3) Christ purchased His
church with his blood, Acts 20:28;
4) The church is the body of
Christ, Col. 1:18;
5) There is one body, Eph.
4:4; and
6) Christ is the Savior of
the body, Eph. 5:23.
The church of Christ is a part of God’s eternal purpose to save sinners. It reveals the manifold wisdom of God:
Ephesians 3:10-11: “…to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord…”
The church of Christ is not a building, and it is not an ecclesiastical organization. The church is composed of “called out ones” (ekklesia) – those who have been saved from their sins, redeemed by the blood of Jesus:
Revelation 1:5: “To Him who love us and washed us from our sins in His own
blood,…”
Acts 2:47: “And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being
saved.”
1 Peter 2:9-10: “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.”
The church of Christ was built by Jesus upon the truth that He is the Christ, the Son of God.
Matthew 16:16-18: “Simon Peter answered and said, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.’”
Jesus is the foundation upon which the church is built (1 Cor. 3:11). Under another figure, Christ is described as “the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord” (Eph. 2:20-21).
Jesus Christ is the head of the church of Christ, which is His body (Eph. 1:22-23; Col. 1:18). Just as our head has one body, Christ has one body – one church – which is the church of Christ (“there is one body,” Eph. 4:4).
The
church of Christ is “the fullness of Him who fills all in all” (Eph.
1:23). If one is not a member of the church of Christ he is not of Christ;
he is still lost in his sins (Acts 2:47).
(To be continued)
You can find the complete outline of this sermon plus PowerPoint and MP3 Audio files at BIBLE ANSWERS Joe R. Price
Scripture Reading: Hebrews 10:5-10
1. Why did Jesus come to the earth?
2. Some want to depict Jesus as unsure, uncertain of who He was and why He
was here. Nothing is farther from the truth! Lk. 2:49
3. Jesus did not randomly appear on the earth.
4. Look at what Jesus said He came to do.
I. WHAT JESUS SAID HE CAME TO DO.
A. To Do the Father’s Will, Jno.
6:38. Jno. 6:39 40, 44-45; 5:29, 30; Matt. 7:21
B. To Fulfill the Law and the
Prophets, Matt. 5:17-18. Rom. 10:4; Gal. 3:19, 24-26; Rom. 8:3-4; Lk.
24:44-47 (Acts 17:2-4)
C. To Seek and Save the Lost,
Matt. 18:11-14 (Lk. 19:9-10). Jno. 3:17; Lk. 9:56
D. To Preach the Gospel, Mk.
1:38-39. Lk. 4:16-21 (Isa. 61:1-2); Lk. 4:43
E. To be a Ransom for Mankind,
Matt. 20:28. Heb. 10:5-7, 9-10; Jno. 10:17-18; 1 Pet. 1:18-19
F. To Bring Conflict to the
World, Matt. 10:34-39. (1 Tim. 6:12)
G. For Judgment, Jno. 9:39.
Matt. 22:42; Jno. 9:27; 8:23-24; 12:48
H. To Give Abundant Life, Jno.
10:10. Jno. 4:13-14 (Isa. 55:1); Jno. 6:33-35, 57-58
I. To be Light in this Dark
World of Sin, Jno. 12:46. Jno. 1:4-5; 8:12 (11); 12:35-36 (1 Thess. 5:5-6)
Conclusion
1. Jesus executed and accomplished all He came to do, Jno. 17:4; 19:30.
2. Now, we must live faithfully to Jesus and fulfill the will of the Father
in our own lives, Phil. 2:12-13 (2 Thess. 1:11-12; Heb. 13:21).
You can find the complete outline of this sermon plus PowerPoint and MP3 Audio files at BIBLE ANSWERS
Joe R. Price
Scripture Reading: Ephesians 5:15-18
1. People are tempted to resist the
“thou shalt not” passages in the Bible.
2. Who are we to reply against God? Rom. 9:20
3. Eph. 5:15-18: Commanded not to do things.
I. DO NOT WALK CARELESSLY, Eph. 5:15-16.
A. See that You Walk Carefully,
5:15. Matt. 2:8; Lk. 1:3; Acts 18:25; 24:22
B. Not as Fools, but as Wise,
5:15. (Prov. 3) Eph. 5:5-6, 7-11
C. Redeeming the Time (evil
days), 5:16. Matt. 6:34; Jas. 4:14; Eccl. 11:2; Lk. 12:15-21.
II. DO NOT BE UNWISE, Eph. 5:17. (Void of understanding, discretion, discernment, perception, Phil. 1:9-11)
A. Understand Will of the Lord,
Eph. 3:3-4. Jno. 13:17; 2 Pet. 1:2, 5-6; 3:18; Phil. 1:10-11
B. To Understand God’s Will We
Must:
1. Have an open heart, Mk.
4:13-15.
2. Want to do God’s will,
Jno. 7:17. (desire)
3. Listen to God’s word,
Acts 2:22; Eph. 3:4.
4. Live the word, use it,
Heb. 5:13-14.
III. DO NOT BE DRUNK WITH WINE, Eph. 5:18
A. Intoxication, Gal. 5:21. 1
Thess. 5:6-8
B. Dissipation, Titus 1:6; 1
Pet. 4:3-4; Lk. 15:13.
C. Be Filled with the Spirit,
5:18. Prov. 14:12; Jer. 17:9-10; 1 Cor. 13:8-10; Acts 8:14-17; Col. 3:16;
Jno. 16:8, 12-13; 1 Cor. 2:10-13.
D. Why be Filled with the
Spirit? Eph. 5:19-21; Col. 3:16; 1 Thess. 5:16-18 (19); Gal. 5:22-23
Conclusion
1. To do right things (be righteous) we must also not do the sinful
things.
2. Why Christ died (Eph. 5:27).
NOTEWORTHY NEWS
(Current events in the light of Scripture)
More Marijuana than Amsterdam
Joe R. Price
Researchers from the University of Puget Sound and the University of Washington has been analyzing the Puget Sound-area waste water for THC (the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana). During 2013-2016 (a timeframe that captured samples before and after Washington legalized the recreational use of marijuana), their study showed the amount of THC in the waste water increased 9 percent each quarter. Notably, cannabis sales jumped 70 percent per quarter after 2014. (“WA study: Puget Sound weed use grows, beats out Amsterdam,” Bellingham Herald, Jared Gilmour, June 19, 2019)
“In an interview with KING 5, (Dr. Dan) Burgard (University of Puget Sound chemist and co-author of the study) put the western Washington area’s cannabis use in perspective as it compares to other areas. ‘According to wastewater, the Puget Sound area has the highest cannabis use per capita, even over Amsterdam,’ Burgard told the TV station, explaining that the researchers were part of a global team that studied 60 to 80 other cities” (Ibid). What a distinction!
The jury is still out on the medicinal benefits of marijuana (“Is Marijuana as Safe as We Think?,” The New Yorker, January 2019). Meanwhile, “cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, a condition that causes cyclic vomiting in heavy marijuana users” is a growing problem in the U.S.” (“Marijuana linked to 'unbearable' sickness across US as use grows following legalization,” The Independent, May 2018)
Good health (of mind
and body) is harmed by marijuana. Sobriety is damaged by marijuana. 65% of
Americans say smoking marijuana is morally acceptable (“Most in U.S. Say
Consuming Alcohol, Marijuana Morally OK,” June 2018,
news.gallup.com). But, the Bible says put away everything that stupefies
the mind and prohibits sober-mindedness and sound judgment (Titus 2:6-7; 1
Pet. 4:1-4).
Created by Chuck Sibbing, last updated. 07/08/2019
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