Twelve Indispensable Things

Temple Baptist Church - -9-6-2009

Ephesians 5:17

Introduction:

A. In our world, religion has become so diversified that “every man does that which is right in his own eyes.” Even individual denominations have more flavors than Baskin Robbins! Because of this, we have coined the phrase “Let us learn to disagree agreeably!”

1. There is not standard by which things are measured. The Bible is the Standard!

2. There is no right unless you think it is right. If you think it is right, do it in spite of what the Standard says.

3. There is not wrong unless you think it is wrong. If you think it is wrong, it does not matter what the Standard says.

B. I can agree with that statement to some degree because the Bible does say, “One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.” We are not to spend our days judging other believers on the merit of our own personal convictions.

1. This is the other side of the coin. We have believers judging other believers according to their own personal “convictions.”

2. Every one of us will give an account personally to our God and the Standard says that we are not to judge one another.

C. I do not require you, missionaries, or other pastors to “dot their I” or “cross their T” just like I do. You and they, just like me, will give a personal account to God for what we do. When missionaries come to Temple, I require some things that I deem fundamentals of agreement. “Can two walk together except they be agreed?” I do not require them to believe, think, or act exactly as I do because I do not always agree with myself on every issue.

D. The problem comes in when people disagree with foundational truths. There are some things that are both indispensable and non-negotiable with the Bible as the Standard! To disagree is to disagree with the Bible and, therefore, disagree with God! You have an opinion. I have an opinion. God has not opinion! He has absolute truth!

E. I want to look at a few things that are indispensable this morning and probably this evening also. Agree or disagree, you will be agreeing or disagreeing with God.

1. Without A New Birth You Cannot Go To Heaven – John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. (No exceptions!)

John 3:7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. (No exceptions!)

2. Without Christ there Is No Salvation – John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Ephesians 2:12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: (No different or many ways!)

3. Without The Blood There Is No Remission - Hebrews 9:22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.

1 Peter 1:18-19 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: (The only payment for sin is the blood of Christ! Hell is punishment, not payment!)

4. Without The Bible There Is No Saving Faith - Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (No wonder the Bible is so ferociously attacked today! If it is the Standard and it is the Foundation of the Faith, then it is of absolute necessity that we the very Word of God. Man shall not live by bread alone! Man must have “every word of God.”)

1 Corinthians 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

5. Without Works Your Faith Is Dead - James 2:18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. (If you do not live like you are saved, please do not tell anyone that you are saved! 2 Corinthians 5:17 is still in the Bible and salvation still brings about a wonderful, permanent change in the life of the believer!)

Matthew 3:8-10 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: 9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. 10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

6. Without Chastisement You Are None Of His - Hebrews 12:6-8 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. (If you are saved, you will get spanked! If you are saved, you will get right! If you are saved, God will deal with you as with a son!)

7. Without A Preacher The Lost Will Remain Lost - Romans 10:14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? (The world will not be saved without someone to go! “Go ye therefore!” “As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you!” They must hear in order to believe.)

Mark 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

8. Without Christ You Can Do Nothing - John 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. (Princes will fail you; friends will fail you; family will fail you; your own personal strength will fail you; the Lord Jesus Christ will never fail you!”)

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

9. Without Faith You Cannot Please God - Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (Faith can move mountains; faith can dissolve fears; faith can comfort those who are in any trouble; Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Faith is not sight, it is just that: faith!)

Romans 14:23 And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

1 John 5:13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

10. Without Holiness You Cannot See The Lord - Hebrews 12:14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: (We will never see Him as He is until we become like Him! We will have an opinion about Him but not see Him. Seeing Him will change us forever.)

Isaiah 59:2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

11. Without Separation You Cannot Have Fellowship With Christ - Hebrews 13:13 Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. (Separation has become a negative term today but He resides “without the camp!” When we approach Him, we have turned our back on the world and each step separates us from the world. We are in the world but not of the world. We are His!)

1 John 1:5-7 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

12. Without The Right Foundation Your Home Will Fall - Luke 6:49 But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great. (Satan has viciously attacked the very foundation of our homes. Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it.)

Psalms 127:2 It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.