Ingratitude: The Christian’s Greatest Sin

Temple Baptist Church - 10-30-2019

Hebrews 10:25-31

Introduction:

A.  This has been a hard series for me to preach because of the seriousness and consequences pertaining to the “forsaking of ourselves together, as the manner of some is.”

B.  The farther we go in prophecy, the less emphasis we find being placed upon the local church and faithfulness to it.

C.  Last week, we looked at the seriousness of our forsaking the assembling of ourselves together.  The word “adversaries” should be enough to cause us to think!

D.  Tonight, I want to look at verse 29: the “WHY” of not forsaking.

1.  A Sin Against The Father – “trodden under foot the Son of God”

            2.  A Sin Against The Son – “blood…an unholy thing”

3.  A Sin Against The Holy Ghost – “despite unto the Spirit of grace” (shamefully entreat or to use despitefully)

E.  I want to look at these three things individually.

1.  A Sin Against The Father.  “who hath trodden under foot the Son of God”

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.

1 John 4:10  Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

a.  The Greatest Love Ever Known – “For God so loved the world.”

b.  The Greatest Love Ever Given – “He gave His only begotten Son.”

c.  The Greatest Love Ever Spurned – “trodden under foot the Son of God.”

2.  A Sin Against The Son.  “and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing”

Ephesians 5:25-27  Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;  (26)  That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,  (27)  That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

a.  His Precious Blood.  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:

b.  His Purchasing Blood.  Acts 20:28  Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

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

3.  A Sin Against The Holy Ghost.  “and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace”

Despite – to abuse; to use despitefully; to treat shamefully; to insult.

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?  (20)  For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

a.  Our Comforter.  John 14:16  And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

b.  Our Security.  Ephesians 4:30  And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

c.  The Friend.  2 Corinthians 13:14  The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.

Conclusion:  The seriousness of the sin of forsaking is found in verse 31. 

Hebrews 10:31  It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Introduction To The Church Age

Temple Baptist Church - 10-27-2019

Revelation 1:17-20

Introduction:

A.  There are many in our day who believe that the Book of the Revelation is hard to understand and, therefore, do not read—study—or preach from it.

B.  God tells us the exact opposite of that in chapter 1, verse 3:

Revelation 1:3  Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand. 

1.  Either God made a big mistake or man continues to make one.  God makes no mistake!

2.  If God blesses us for reading, hearing, and keeping the Book of the Revelation, then God must want us to read, hear, and keep it!

C.  The Book of the Revelation is orderly, systematically laid out, and in chronological order.

D.  The three-fold division of the Book of the Revelation.  Verse 19.

1.  Chapter 1 – The things which thou hast seen.

2.  Chapters 2-3 – The things which are.

3.  Chapters 4-22 – The things which shall be hereafter.

E.  Chapters 2-3 are the “things which are.”  It began with the Age of the Apostles and continues through the end of the Church Age.  To rightly divide the Word of Truth and the Book of the Revelation, one must be aware of its three-fold division.

1.  John, who walked with Christ for 3 ½ years, turns, sees, and falls at His feet.

2.  When he sees Christ’s glory, majesty, splendor—he falls at His feet.

3.  The same thing happened to Moses, Isaiah, and Ezekiel when they saw His glory in the Old Testament.

4.  Those powerful hands, those nail pierced hands, those authoritative hands were extended and laid upon John in compassion and confidence.

5.  He that was dead is alive forever more as Sovereign and Judge.

6.  Through His death, burial, and resurrection—the grave is defeated, the bonds of death are broken.

7.  He who owns the keys has access, authority, and control.

F.  These seven churches were contemporary with each other in the Age of the Apostles. 

1.  Each of the seven churches of Asia received the same letter, the entire Book of the Revelation. 

2.  Each of the seven churches of Asia saw both the commendations, conditions, condemnations, and warnings of the other churches.

3.  The seven stars are the pastors of the churches.  This shows how Christ holds His Pastors in a position of honor and strength as well as a place of Divine protection.

4.  Thus He introduces the Church Age in chapters 2-3.

G.  We will look at four different interpretations of the Church Age.

1.  The Practical Interpretation of The Church Age.  As the scripture applies to each church.

a.  Ephesus - (2:4) The Drifting Church

b.  Smyrna - (2:9b-10) The Persecuted Church

c.  Pergamos - (2:13a) The Wedded Church

d.  Thyatira - (2:20) The Apostate Church

e.  Sardis - (3:1) The Dead Church

f.  Philadelphia - (3:8) The Mission-hearted Church

g.  Laodicea - (3:16) The Lukewarm Church

2.  The Perennial Interpretation of The Church Age.  A reoccurring problem in churches.

a.  Ephesus - (2:2b) The Fundamental Church

b.  Smyrna - (2:9b) The Ritualistic church

c.  Pergamos - (2:15) The Clerical Church

d.  Thyatira - (2:20) The Idolatrous Church

e.  Sardis - (3:20) The Liberal Church

f.  Philadelphia - (3:10) The Revival Church

g.  Laodicea - (3:17) The Materialistic Church

3.  The Parabolic Interpretation of The Church Age.  The 7 parables of Matthew, chapter 13.

a.  Ephesus - (2:2) "The Sower" (Matt 13:3-23)

b.  Smyrna - (2:9c) "The Wheat and The Tares" Matt 13:24-30; 36:43)

c.  Pergamos - (2:13) "The Mustard Seed" (Matt 13:31-32)

d.  Thyatira - (2:21-22) "The Leaven" (Matt 13:33)

e.  Sardis - (3:2c) "The Hidden Treasure" (Matt 13:44)

f.  Philadelphia - (3:9c) "The Pearl of Great Price" (Matt 13:45-46)

g.  Laodicea - (3:20) "The Drag-net" (Matt 13:47- 50)

4.  The Prophetical Interpretation of The Church Age.  A prophetic breakdown of the Church Age.

a.  Ephesus - (2:2b) Post-apostolic Age (30-100 A.D.)

b.  Smyrna - (2:9a) Persecution Age (100-312 A.D.)

c.  Pergamos - (2:13) Patronizing Age (312-606 A.D.)

d.  Thyatira - (2:20) Papal Age (606-1520 A.D.)

e.  Sardis - (3:1,4) Protestant Age (1520-1750 A.D.)

f.  Philadelphia - (3:8c) Puritan Age (1750-1945 A.D.)

g.  Laodicea - (3:20) Present Day Age (1945- A.D.)

Hath Made Us - Part 2 - What Christ Was Made For Us

Temple Baptist Church - 10-27-2019

Revelation 1:4-6

Introduction:

A.  We are preaching through the Book of Revelation on Sunday nights and I am enjoying it immensely.  It causes me to study instead of just read the Book.

B.  Again, this morning, I want to back up a little from where we are on Sunday night and look at 3 verses of great importance, verses 4-6. 

1.  John shows both Christ in 3 distinct tenses: past, present, and future. 

a)  This is important to us because it shows who Christ is, who Christ was, and who Christ will be when He comes again. 

b)  What Christ did for us; what Christ is doing for us; and what Christ will be at His appearing.

2.  John also shows the children of God in 3 distinct tenses: our past, our present, and our future.  This is important because it shows who we were, who we are, and what we shall be at His appearing.

C.  The words “hath made us” stand out.  For Christ to make us something, He had to be made something.  I want to look at a verse in 2 Corinthians that will explain what I am thinking.

2 Corinthians 5:21  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

D.  I never get over the wonder and amazement of what the Lord did for us:

1.  The love of God for fallen man!

2.  The condescension of God to become man!

3.  The sacrifice of God at Calvary!

4.  The seeking of God to save a sinner such as I!

5.  The power of God to not only save but to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day!

6.  The gentleness and absolute care of God for His sheep.

7.  The promise of God concerning eternity!

E.  We have nothing to glory in except the Lord Himself and what He has accomplished in our behalf. 

Galatians 6:14  But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.  (He did everything and we did nothing.)

John 3:30  He must increase, but I must decrease.  (We are nothing and He is our everything.)

F.  His work was done in such as way as to remove all possibility of self-glory from the redeemed.  Those who are saved know that it is of Him, through Him, and to Him! 

G.  In Revelation 1:6, the Holy Spirit used the word “MADE.”  This word is important to us because all that has been, is being, and will be done for us would have never naturally occurred—had it not been for Christ Jesus.

1.  It means to make something that is not naturally found or would not be naturally done.  A cake is made, but the ingredients would never come together into a cake without effort on someone’s part.  A bed is made up because it would not naturally make itself.

2.  To use the greatest illustration, which is found in the Bible, our Lord Jesus Christ “made the worlds.”  The word “worlds” is plural to include the universe.  Something that would not and could not naturally occur!

a)  God made the heavens and the earth for His glory.

Hebrews 1:2  Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

Hebrews 11:3  Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

b)  God made man in His image.

Genesis 1:26  And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

Psalms 100:3  Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

3.  The Lord was “made” certain things for all of humanity so that they could be saved.  Then, after salvation, the Lord is “made” certain things unto us that would never come about if we were left in our natural estate.

H.  What Christ Was Made For Us: things that would not and could not naturally occur:

1.  He was made flesh - John 1:14  And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,)full of grace and truth.

2.  He was made of a woman and made under the law - Galatians 4:4  But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law. 

3.  He was made of seed of David - Romans 1:3  Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh.

4.  He was made of no reputation and made in the likeness of men - Philippians 2:7  But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

5.  He was made in likeness of man - Philippians 2:7  But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

6.  He was made lower than angels - Hebrews 2:9  But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

7. He Was Made Like Unto His Brethren - Hebrews 2:17  Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.

8.  He was made a curse for us - Galatians 3:13  Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.

9.  He was made sin for us - 2 Corinthians 5:21  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

10.  He was made the head of the corner in salvation - 1 Peter 2:7  Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,

11.  He was made a quickening Spirit - 1 Corinthians 15:45  And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.

12.  He was made Lord and Christ - Acts 2:36  Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

13.  He was made the surety of our salvation - Hebrews 7:22  By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.

           

14.  He was made our High Priest - Hebrews 6:20  Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.