Paul’s Exhortation To The Church - Part 2

Temple Baptist Church - 2-28-2016

1 Thessalonians 5:14-15

Introduction:

A.  Paul, in light of the times, is exhorting the Thessalonian believers as to how to help one another within the local church. 

1.  We so often quote Hebrews 10:25 and key in on “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together.”  I cannot over emphasize the importance of faithfulness to church!  When people begin to drift from God, they automatically begin to drift from faithfulness to the local church. 

2.  I once read, “Either the Bible will keep you from sin or sin will keep you from the Bible.”  The same is true with sinfulness and faithfulness.  Exhort means to come along side of someone.  It means to help them when they are struggling.

B.  I dealt with the unruly brother by himself as church discipline, which is not what we ever want to do, often becomes necessary at some point when the brother refuses to get right.  If not preached on, when church discipline becomes necessary people who do not understand it often get offended or hurt.  The desired result of church discipline is always reconciliation.  That is why the Bible says to warn, not put out, the unruly.

C.  Tonight, I want to look at the phrase “comfort the feebleminded.” 

1.  “Comfort the feebleminded.”  No, that does not necessarily mean the senile citizens group in the church.  We do need to be supportive of our elderly members as well as those who sometimes come and do not have a normal mental capacity that allows them to function normally.  The world calls us seniors but, too often, we become a little senile with age.  We often forget; we often repeat; we often sleep in church, etc. because we become a little older.  Feebleminded means we become weak in our minds. 

2.  The Bible has so much to say about the mind.  This little 3 lb. piece of “gray matter” is the greatest computer in the universe.  With the mind we can go anywhere and do anything.  We have logic; we have emotion; we can reason; we can remember; we can plan; we can love and we can hate; we have a conscious part and a subconscious part; we can do almost anything in our mind.  The mind is great and little used when compared to its capacity.  It is commonly thought that we use 10% or less of our minds. 

3.  Too often, because of circumstances, our minds tend to be overloaded and we become confused as to what and when we should do things.  We have a tendency to give up.  We cannot see the forest for the trees.  There is an old saying, “I can’t never did anything.”  It is then that we need a “clear minded” brother or sister who can come to our aid. 

4.  In Philippians, chapter 2, Paul said, “Let this mind be in you.”  We have to make our minds think right.  We cannot allow our minds to just drift.  We must capture imaginations that exalt themselves against God.

D.  Why comfort the feebleminded?  I am only going to deal with a few of the bad conditions that our minds can get into as there are plenty of good states of mind also.

1.  Because we can have a Grieving Mind.  Genesis 26:35  Which were a grief of mind unto Isaac and to Rebekah.

2.  Because we can have a Wicked Mind.  Proverbs 21:27  The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination: how much more, when he bringeth it with a wicked mind?

3.  Because we can have a Doubtful Mind.  Luke 12:29  And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.

4.  Because we can have a Carnal Mind.  Romans 8:6-7  For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.  (7)  Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

5.  Because we can have an Earthly Mind.  Philippians 3:19  Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)

6.  Because we can have a Shaken Mind.  2 Thessalonians 2:2  That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.

7.  Because we can have a High Mind.  1 Timothy 6:17  Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;

8.  Because we can have a Weary Mind.  Hebrews 12:3  For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

9.  Because we can have an Unstable Mind.  James 1:8  A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

7 Sayings Of The Cross – Part 3 – Woman, Behold Thy Son

Temple Baptist Church - 2-28-2016

John 19:25-27

Introduction:

A.  The sayings of the cross give insight into the duel nature of Christ.  In the study of Theology, this is referred to the Hypostatic Union of Christ.  Jesus Christ was 100% God and 100% man at the same time.  Though this defies human comprehension, it is a Biblical reality.

B.  As 100% God, He could die for our sin and fully satisfy the just righteous demands of the Father.  As 100% man, He could be touched with the feeling of our infirmities and become our faithful High Priest. 

C.  Much heresy is refuted in the gospel: the death, burial, and bodily resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Here are examples of just a few of them.

1.  “Father, forgive them” refutes teachings that the church and the priests can forgive sin.  Only God can forgive sin!

2.  “Today thou shalt be with me in paradise” refutes both multiple ways of salvation (Christ is the only Way to heaven), the doctrines of Limbo, Purgatory, and soul sleep (today … with me).

3  Our verses for this morning, “Woman, behold thy son  … behold thy mother” refutes Mariolatry.  Our Lord dispelled the heresy that Mary was the “Mother of God” as is believed by many.  God had no mother!  There are no verses of Scripture where Jesus ever referred to Mary as mother.

4.  The symbols of her so-called “majesty” as Coredemptrix, Mediatrix, and Advocate are imprinted in the Medal of the Immaculate Conception (Miraculous Medal).   All three are heretical and clearly refuted by the Word of God!

a)  Coredemptrix - 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.

b)  Mediatrix - 1 Timothy 2:5  For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

c)  Advocate - 1 John 2:1  My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

D.  From the cross, our Lord made statements from both the human side and the divine side of His person.  Here, in the third saying of the cross, we find our Lord dispensing the care of His earthly mother to John the Beloved.  An obligation that He took seriously and set forth an example for us to follow.  In the first saying from the cross, our Lord dealt with the forgiveness of sin; in the second saying, He dealt with the salvation of an individual; in this third saying, it is interesting that He dealt with the family unit.

1.  Mary’s Devotion!  In Mary’s life, we find both devotion to Jesus on the human side as mother and on the spiritual side as her Saviour.

a.  Mary’s Selection - Luke 1:26-27, 28  And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,  (27)  To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary … (38)  And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.  (Mary was pure and highly favored but not divine!  Joseph and Mary, after the birth of Christ, had a normal husband/wife relationship and their other sons were named in the Bible.)

b.  Mary’s Salvation - Luke 1:46-47  And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,  (47)  And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. (Only Sinners need a Saviour.  Mary was just like you and me.  A good woman; a godly woman; but not the Mother of God!  God has no mother.  Jesus Christ never called Mary his mother but referred to her as “woman.”)

c.  Mary’s Sorrow - Luke 2:35  (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) (Mary was a special woman as she was chosen to bear the Son of God’s physical body.  Though He was God, she was still a mother!  How many times did she “ponder” these things in her heart?  Mary, the one who gave Him birth; Mary, the one who nursed Him on her breast; Mary, the one who swaddled and took care of Him; Mary, the one who raised Him during His formative years; Mary, the one who pondered His being while He was growing up; Mary, the one who accompanied Him during His earthly ministry; Mary, the one who stood by Him while other forsook Him.)

d.  Mary’s Steadfastness - John 19:25  Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother … (Mary never left His side!  Her love and devotion was to her Saviour, not her just her son!  If you are reading my notes, you will notice that “son” is not capitalized in this last statement.  Though He was God, He was still her “son” in the flesh.  She, of course, sorrowed as everyone else did but she knew who He was, why He came, and what He was doing.)

2.  Jesus’ Duty!  As the norm was, the transferring of the mother’s care from one to another in the case of death was done within the family.  Our Lord could have as easily done so before Calvary but chose to open address it from the cross.  In doing so, He showed an important truth openly for us all.

a.  His duty.  After the death of Joseph, which is not recorded—as the first born—it was our Lord’s duty to care for His earthly mother.    It was the responsibility of the eldest son to care for the parents when they got older and our Lord was no different. 

b.  His desire.  As God, all men and women were equal but, as a “son,” his mother was special.  As one writer put it, “Christ’s sufferings surpassed all conception, yet they did not drown the memory of His mother.”  As any one of us, our Lord had the highest regard for the one who gave Him birth.  He never disrespected Mary nor was He ever disobedient to her.  We, as God’s children, are admonished to honor and obey our parents.

c.  His decision!

1)  Our Lord Jesus did not commit His earthly mother to a brother.  This would have been both the natural and biblical things to do.  The care of mother belonged to the second born son at this time.  It shows me a failure within the family structure.  Satan has done a job on the American family because God has gone from 1st to 2nd to 3rd to last place in the home.  The family structure is the strength of both the church and the nation.  As goes the home, so goes all else.

2)  Our Lord Jesus did not commit His earthly mother to the church.  Mary was not a “widow indeed” and, therefore, was not the responsibility of the congregation to care for.  You can argue all you want about the beginning of the church but we can all agree that there was a body of believers to whom the Lord gave the Great Commission and both local church ordinances.

3)  Our Lord Jesus chose John the Beloved, a man who could be trusted!  The only disciple that remained at His side until the end.  None others are mentioned

Conclusion:  In the third saying of the cross, we find the importance of family and duty.  Family is important to God because He established the family unit in the Garden of Eden.

Practical Sanctification

Temple Baptist Church - 2-24-2016

Jude 1

Introduction: 

A.  In our verse for tonight, we find Positional Sanctification and Preservation which are acts of God. 

1.  Salvation and security are works of God and God alone.  We bring a bankrupt sinner to Christ by faith and are saved and eternally sealed.  Positional Sanctification establishes Relationship, which is eternal!  One day just like today and it may be today, our Lord will come for His Church and will take us home.  This will be Perpetual Sanctification as we shall ever be with the Lord. 

2.  In between our salvation and the Lord’s coming for His Church, is our life lived for Christ. 

a)  As Position and Perpetual Sanctification are acts of God, Practical Sanctification is something that the believer does.  Practical Sanctification establishes Fellowship, which is temporal! 

b)  As on a cemetery monument with a date of birth and a date of death separated with a dash, so is our lives.  There is a date that we are born again, a date that we will one day be forever with the Lord, and a dash that represents the years of our lives between the two.

B.  Practical Sanctification is a very little preached on subject in these latter days.  

1.  People who do not want to live for the Lord do not want to hear it and hireling prophets that fill the pulpits do not want to preach it. 

2.  Lukewarm people do not want to want to be either warmed up or awakened.  They are in a comfort zone that requires nothing of them.  This is not the will of God for the believer.

C.  Practical Sanctification is an all important part of living for the Lord.  (1 John 1:1-7)

1.  Practical Sanctification is essential to having fellowship with the Lord!  Vs. 3-6

2.  Practical Sanctification is essential to having fellowship with the body of Christ! Vs. 7

D.  The wickedness of our unsaved flesh:

1.   The pull of the world is strong and our flesh is weak.   because of the strong pull that the world has upon us.  Romans 7:18-21  For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.  (19)  For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.  (20)  Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.  (21)  I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.

2.  Living for the Lord requires our dying to self by crucifying our flesh. Galatians 2:20  I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

E.  Practical Sanctification is much more than separation from the world.  It is separation unto the Lord.  Practical sanctification is not separation from the world. 

1.  It is conformity to God!  Each of us who are save have an obligation to be personally conformed to the Lord Jesus Christ.  The Bible says that we are a peculiar people.  We are not trying to be a peculiar people, we are peculiar.  We are to be peculiar in our actions; we are to be peculiar in our deportment; we are to be peculiar in our following; we are to be peculiar in our thinking; we are not to be conformed to this world but we are to renew our minds through the Word of God. 

2.  We are special and we are different!  We are saved and we are His!  The world hates Jesus Christ and, if we are right with Jesus Christ, the world will hate us!

Titus 2:14  Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

1 Peter 2:9  But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

1.  Practical Sanctification is Acting Right - 2 Corinthians 7:1  Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

2.  Practical Sanctification is Conforming Right - Romans 12:1-2  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. 

3.  Practical Sanctification is Loving Right - 1 John 2:15-17  Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  (16)  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.  (17)  And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

4.  Practical Sanctification is Associating Right - James 4:4  Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

                                                                                                                                                                          5.  Practical Sanctification is Thinking Right - 1 Corinthians 6:19-20  What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?  For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

7 Sayings Of The Cross – Part 2 – Today Thou Shalt Be With Me In Paradise

Temple Baptist Church - 2-21-2016

Luke 23:32-43

Introduction:

A.  As we continue toward Easter Sunday, I want to continue looking at the 7 distinct times that our Lord Jesus Christ spoke from the cross.  Each of these 7 says are independent of each other and, yet, together—they speak v0lumnes about the heart of the One who died for our salvation.

B.  Last week, we looked at “Father forgive them.” 

1.  He came to die for sin and to bring about reconciliation to mankind.  It also taught us a lesson on forgiveness as the Lord personally and temporally forgave those who crucified Him while knowing that they would not repent and ask for forgiveness.  The forgiveness is a debt that we owe to others.  Forgive them as God, for Christ’s sake, forgave us.

2.    This morning, I want to look at the 2nd saying and possibly the most notable: “And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.”  In these verses, we find a true death bed profession.  Most people who are dying are just too busy dying to trust Christ.  I believe that some do truly get saved just before they die but, as a general rule, how you lived is how you die!

C.  Here we find two thieves who were to die with Christ.

1.  One Mocked Christ – vs. 39  He asked Christ to save them and still died lost.  A prayer will not save the sinner.  Salvation is a heart condition!  This thief died unrepentant and lost.  His prayer was to save “us.”

2.  One Recognized Christ – vs. 40  This thief recognized who Christ was; recognized what he was; and asked for salvation. Vs. 41-42

D.  What a bold request! “Lord, remember me!” He was a convicted thief with nothing to offer.  He was condemned to death with no reprieve.  Helpless, hopeless, he was now to die.  He had lived his life for self and now requested salvation?  Can a sinner be saved upon his deathbed?  The answer is a resounding “Yes!”

E.  What a glorious reply!   “Today shalt thou be with me in paradise!”  Our Lord answered his request in the affirmative.  I am so glad that we serve a merciful God who does not give us what we deserve.  What a wonderful Lord and Saviour is Jesus Christ.

F.  Notice that the grace of God extended was singular in number: “thou.”  A nameless, condemned thief, helpless thief!  Helpless but, thank God, not hopeless!  Let us look at that statement for a few minutes.

G.  The Request Of The Sinner – “Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom”

1.  Realization – “fear God”

2.  Repentance – “indeed justly”

3.  Recognition – “Lord”

4.  Request – “remember me”

H.  The Reply Of The Saviour – “Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise”

1.  Recognition – “unto thee”

2.  Reliability – “Verily”

3.  Reassurance – “shalt thou be”

I.  His salvation was instantaneous: “today!”  His salvation was assured: “thou shalt be!”  His salvation was eternal: “in paradise!”

1.  The heresy of Good Works was refuted – for there was nothing that the thief could do as death was imminent. 

2.  The heresy of Sacraments was refuted - for the thief was saved without last rites, baptism, the Lord's Supper, church, or ceremony.

3.  The heresy of purgatory was refuted - for this vile sinner was instantly transformed into a saint and made fit for paradise apart from his personal expiation for a single sin.

4.  The heresy of universalism was refuted - for only one was saved of all who might have been saved that day.  "Today shalt thou be with me in paradise."

5.  The heresy of soul-sleep was refuted - for the clear implication of the entire incident is that the redeemed thief would be in conscious presence and fellowship with his Saviour in paradise even while his body corrupted in the grave.

1.  This saying shows the Love of God for sinners.  He saved this thief because He loved him! It matters not who you are or what you have done, God loves you.  He is truly a Friend of publicans and sinners.  He loves me, He loves, He loves me this I know!  The Bible tells me so.

John 15:13  Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

John 3:16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Romans 5:8  But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Titus 3:4  But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,

1 John 4:9  In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

2.  This saying shows the Individuality of salvation.  He saved the thief because He was dying for HIM!  Salvation will never belong to a person until he or she realizes that Christ died for them personally.  Yes, He did for the sins of the whole world but He died for me makes salvation personal.

1 John 2:2  And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

1 Timothy 2:4  Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

3.  This saying shows clearly the Way of salvation.  Not many ways but one way and that way is through faith in Christ and faith alone. 

a.  Salvation is not by works - Ephesians 2:8-9  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9  Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Titus 3:5  Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

b.  Salvation is through Christ alone - 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.

c.  Salvation is a free gift - Romans 5:18  Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

d.  Salvation is for the asking - Romans 10:13  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

4.  This saying gives Hope to all of mankind!  He saved a thief so that men might not despair.  The BLESSED HOPE gave the thief hope!  There is hope in Christ.

a.  Some might say, “It is too late for me.”  It was not too late for the thief.  If you are breathing, you are a candidate for salvation.

b.  Some might say, “I have done too much wrong to be saved.” 

c.  There is hope in Jesus Christ for even the vilest sinner on his way to his death.

5.  This saying Warns mankind not to presume!    Oh, preacher, I’ll make it some way.  I have plenty of time.  I will one day give my life to Christ!

a.  The Presumption of Salvation - Christ only saved one of the thieves!  They presume that they will “slip into heaven” at the last moment.  Two men; two choices; and two destinies!

b.  The Presumption of Judgment.  That God will not put you in Hell.  Most people do not think that they will perish I hell.  Bad things always happen to other people.

Conclusion:

One thief railed on Christ.  “If thou be Christ.”

One Thief wailed to Christ.  “Lord, remember me.”

One was nailed for sin.  He was nailed for my sin.  He was nailed for yours!