Knowing the Difference

Posted by David on January 9, 2000 under Bulletin Articles

An eight-year-old child in a healthy family said to his parents, “I want to manage all the money spent on me. I want to make all decisions that affect my life. I want total control of all decisions concerning me. I want to determine all rules that regulate any aspect of my life. I want to determine how my time is used. I want to provide my own guidance.”

The parents answered, “We know you want those responsibilities. But this is not a matter of your desire. You are not capable of caring wisely for such things. There are many responsibilities that you can accept, but those are not among them.”

The insulted eight-year-old had no desire to accept the responsibilities of an eight-year-old. In his thinking, he was fully capable. He just did not have “the rights of power” that his parents possessed.

An adult says to God, “I want to determine all right and wrong for me. I want to be in charge of my own forgiveness. I want to decide for me what is weak and strong, wise and foolish, good and bad, and right and wrong. I want to classify what is ‘temptation’ and what is ‘natural.’ I want to determine the proper use of my life.”

God replies, “I know that you want those things. But it is not a matter of desire. You are incapable of caring wisely for such responsibilities. There are responsibilities that you can accept, responsibilities I want you to accept. But those are not among them.”

The insulted adult knew he was capable. He just did not have God’s “rights of power.”

At its foundation, a mature faith in God and Christ understands two things. (1) It understands some responsibilities are beyond a person’s capability and wisdom. (2) It understands that some responsibilities are within a person’s capability and wisdom. Maturity exists in faith when a person can distinguish between the two.

A critical problem has plagued us from the beginning: we want to be like God. We are certain that we could. We know that we are capable. God denies us that opportunity only because He controls the power.

One of the worst, most wicked periods in the history of Israel existed because “everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25).

Will you assume those responsibilities in your life within your capability and wisdom? Will you trust God with those responsibilities outside your capability and wisdom? Will you develop a mature faith? Or, do you want to play God?

The irony: as faith matures, we continually learn how incapable we are of playing God. Mature faith continually increases our awareness of this truth: we do not know or understand nearly as much as we think we do.

Culture and the Church: Sexual Perceptions

Posted by David on January 2, 2000 under Sermons

Last Sunday evening at 8 p.m. a major television network aired The Marriage Fool starring Walter Matthau and Carol Burnett. It is rated PG.

Speaking from the perspective of a counselor, it did many things well. A man’s wife died after many years of marriage. The movie did a better than average job of depicting some of the major adjustments that the man and his children faced after wife and mom died.

After months of being a widower, the man met someone who was interested in him and in whom he was interested. The adjustments now intensify for the whole family. He had to adjust to dating someone without feeling like he was betraying his wife. His children have to adjust to their father dating a woman who was not their mother.

By mutual agreement, she moved in with him months before they definitely decided to marry. The adjustments intensify again for the children.

His unmarried son faced the greatest adjustment problems. He was a perpetual dater who kept a list of the women he dates. He had neither the desire to nor the intention of settling down. Yet, when his father began living with the woman he was dating, it freaked him out. The father and son genuinely loved each other, but they could not talk. They just reacted. And their reactions created a major crisis.

Sexually, the premise of the movie declares three things as fact. None of the three are explained. None of the three are defended. All three are “accepted realities” in the real world of the audience. People in our culture will accept all three as facts of life. Fact one: dating involves the couple being sexually active. Fact two: serious dating includes occasions when the couple spends several days together enjoying carefree sexual intimacy. Fact three: regardless of a couples age, it is perfectly natural to live together for a few months before marriage.

1. Those three facts are commonly assumed in all recreational media.
   1. They are so commonly presented that most of us do not even notice them.
      1. All three are common in popular books.
      2. All three are common in popular movies.
      3. All three are common in popular television programming.
      4. Many popular songs are more explicit about sexual conduct than our popular books, movies, or television.
   2. What is your reaction?
      1. The reaction of some is “that is just entertainment–it really does not happen.” There is a small group that live in such isolation that they think sexual activity outside of marriage is rare.
      2. The reaction of others is “that kind of thing goes on in the world where people are not concerned about God, but it is very rare the church.” The dividing line is between those who believe in God and those who do not.
      3. The reaction of another group is “that is a real view of life everywhere–in the church and out.” This group is quite astounded when they hear others pretending that we do not live in a sexually active society.
   3. The reason that so many books, movies, and television programs accept these three situations as fact is simple: in our culture, they are common.
      1. They are very open facts in our society.
      2. They are fact in the church.
      3. Being sexually active while dating is common; refusing to be sexually active is uncommon.
      4. It is more common for dating adult couples to spend a few days of sexual intimacy together than it is for adult couples to refuse to do that.
      5. It is common for people to live together before marrying.
   4. Why?
      1. Divorce, separation, hostile marriages, seriously dysfunctional marriages, spouse abuse, child abuse, and single parent homes have produced several generations who have few to no relationship skills.
         1. We have an enormous number of people in our society that are starved for relationship.
         2. They are starved for love, but they do not understand what love is.
         3. They have experienced so much rejection that they are starved for acceptance.
         4. They have experienced so much criticism that they are starved for appreciation.
         5. They have experienced so much loneliness that they are starved for a sense of belonging.
      2. Our culture is drowning in its ignorance about relationships.
         1. We do not know how to commitment constructively to another person.
         2. We do not know how to communicate.
         3. We have so much inward pain and insecurity that we either practice denial or control.
         4. We do not know how to accept responsibility in relationship.
         5. We do not know how to solve disagreements without destructive confrontations.
         6. We do not know how to be unselfish; our self-centeredness commonly results in some form of abuse.
         7. We do not know what healthy relationships are.
         8. We do not know how to build healthy relationships.
         9. We do not know how to nurture healthy relationships.
   5. So what happens?
      1. We do not know how to produce love, but we do know how to be sexually active.
         1. Since God’s creative design combined love and sexual intimacy, we substitute sexual intimacy for love.
         2. Being sexually active creates the closest thing to love that we have experienced.
         3. For at least a little while, we feel close, accepted, appreciated, and valued.
         4. So we separate love and sexual intimacy, and we substitute sexual intimacy for love.
      2. The problem: when you separate sexual intimacy from the healthy love that responsibly commits to healthy relationship, you are left with an enormous sense of emptiness.
         1. But we like the pleasure and sense of acceptance that sexual intimacy brings.
         2. So we conclude that the sexual intimacy was on target; our partner was the wrong person.
         3. We find ourselves in that vicious search for love by being sexually active, and the value of the intimacy diminishes as the emptiness increases.
      3. The result: we have an enormous problem with irresponsible sexual attitudes and conduct in our culture, and those attitudes powerfully, successfully invaded the lives of Christians.
2. “David, why do you want to discuss this on Sunday evenings?”
   1. First, I want to discuss this because I am tired.
      1. I am tired of seeing what this problem is doing to so many homes and families.
      2. I am tired of watching what it is doing to our young people while we pretend it is not a significant problem.
      3. I am tired of being limited to dealing with it one person at a time; many of the people we seek to help through counseling might not be in their problem if they had better information years ago.
      4. I am tired of watching the culture fashion everyday ideas and attitudes in the church about sexual intimacy.
      5. I tired of avoiding one of the greatest spiritual crises the church faces because we refuse to honest and openly help people with an every day reality.
   2. Second, I want us to begin to help people.
      1. The gospels make it quite clear that Jesus definitely helped people whose lives were in pain because of sexual problems.
      2. He did not pretend that the problem did not exist.
      3. He was not content to dismiss the problem by condemning it.
      4. If we are serious in our claim to be his church, we must help people.
   3. Third, Sunday evening is the best time to discuss the problems openly and honestly.
      1. After this evening, the children are in the Kids for Christ program.
      2. We can have adult considerations of adult realities that, unfortunately, have become a children reality.
3. I want to state what will not be my approach.
   1. I will not make a list of things that are “evil,” condemn them, and try to force people away from them by using guilt.
      1. Are there things that are evil that deserve to be condemned? Without a doubt!
      2. However, trying to get people to reject them through guilt manipulation is ineffective.
         1. In our culture, many of these things are not defined as evil or considered to be evil.
         2. In the church, many who have been baptized do not define these things as evil or consider them to be evil.
         3. Because I affirm that they are evil and read some scripture will not change their concepts.
      3. I want to make the same point that I have made so many times: I want believers to build godly relationships and reject destructive sexual attitudes and behaviors because of their faith.
         1. My priority concern is not controlling the behavior of Christians.
         2. I do not want Christians to alter their behavior out of fear of venereal diseases; I want them to alter their behavior because of their faith in God.
         3. I do not want Christians to hide their behavior in fear of the church; I want Christians to build their behavior on their faith in God.
         4. Faith behavior will build a living relationship with God.
         5. Faithless behavior, not matter how well controlled, will not build a living relationship with God.
         6. We can spiritually survive in a godless culture only through a living relationship with God.
   2. My approach will be this: I will seek to build an accurate understanding of why sexually irresponsible attitudes and behavior destroy us as persons.
      1. I want to begin by calling your attention to Genesis chapters 1, 2 , and 3.
      2. The first thing I call to your attention is the first recorded commandment in the Bible given to human beings: Genesis 1:27,28.
         Genesis 1:27,28 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” (The New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update, La Habra, California: The Lockman Foundation, 1996.)
         1. Genesis 1 provides us with the general account of creation; Genesis 2 provides us the specific account of the creation of human relationship.
         2. In the general account, this is obvious to me:
            1. Man and woman were sexual beings from the moment of creation.
            2. Their sexuality was to be a part of their companionship before sin existed.
            3. They were not recreated to be sexual beings after sin existed.
      3. Second I want you to see that sexual intimacy was a part of their companionship from the beginning of the human relationship.
         Genesis 2:21-25 So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. The Lord God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. The man said, “This is now bone of my bones, And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man.” For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed. (The New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update, La Habra, California: The Lockman Foundation, 1996.)
         1. The statement, “They shall become one flesh,” is a specific reference to sexual intimacy.
         2. They were to be helpful companions, and sexual intimacy was to be a part of that companionship.
      4. After they rebelled against God, God told Eve:
         Genesis 3:16 To the woman He said, “I will greatly multiply Your pain in childbirth, In pain you will bring forth children; Yet your desire will be for your husband, And he will rule over you.” (The New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update, La Habra, California: The Lockman Foundation, 1996.)
         1. Childbirth did not begin because of sin; it increased.
         2. Childbirth was painless prior to sin, and painful after sin.

What is the point? Sexual intimacy in the companionship of marriage is not evil. It is God designed, God given, and a God intended part of godly relationship and godly companionship. Sexual intimacy in a healthy marriage is good. The abuse of sexual intimacy is evil.

Lord, Let Me Show You Around

Posted by David on under Sermons

The past several months have been a time of growing anxiety for many. Some expected Y2K to cause mega problems. Others predicted the end of civilization as we have experienced it. Others expected the world to end with the return of Jesus Christ.

Paul said that the day of the Lord would come like a thief in the night (1 Thessalonians 5:2). For a thief to be successful, he must be unpredictable. He comes when no one expects him. He gives no advanced warning.

That is my understanding of the Lord’s return. I do not doubt that Jesus Christ will return. I do not doubt that this world will come to an end. I do not doubt God’s judgment will occur. I, personally, am not concerned about “when” or “how” all this happens. The “when” and “how” require an enormous amount of human speculation. Just as a successful thief comes by total surprise, my understanding of Paul’s statement is that the Lord’s return will be a total surprise. My only concern is that I belong to God by allowing God to place me in Christ. Then the “when” and “how” are unimportant–whenever that moment arrives.

Play a game with me. Let’s play as if Jesus is making an inspection tour of his congregations on earth. This tour has nothing to do with the end of time. He just wants a personal, direct report from his congregation on how things are going. It is like our “on site inspections.”

We are informed that he will visit West-Ark the first week in February for three days. We are to be prepared to provide him an insightful report on this congregation.

The congregation appoints a committee to meet with Jesus. This committee will do two things: (1) welcome Jesus, and (2) inform Jesus about West-Ark.

I understand that this is a ridiculous game. I certainly realize that Jesus knows everything about this congregation and everyone in the congregation. But I have a reason for playing the game, so humor me.

1. Suppose that you are on the committee.
   1. You are in the meeting that will decide what to do when Jesus visits.
      1. Each committee member states what he or she thinks we should do to give Jesus a good picture of West Ark.
         1. It is your turn to state what you feel we should do.
         2. What would you recommend?
      2. Would you suggest that we give Jesus a tour of the facilities and explain what has happened in the last eighteen months?
      3. “Jesus, this is the foyer. Let us explain what it used to look like.”
         1. “Just look at how much warmer and attractive it is now!”
         2. “Now it creates a more positive impression when a person comes in.”
      4. “Jesus, this is what our seating arrangement used to be. Can you see what an improvement it is now?”
         1. “This arrangement has a positive effect on our fellowship and worship.”
         2. “It looked like a great big cave with isolated groups all over this room.”
         3. “The atmosphere is much better, and the fellowship has really improved!”
      5. “And, Lord, we used to have a terrible problem with water with a heavy rain.”
         1. “Why, I remember a heavy rain about two years ago when you could actually see the water flowing on top of the carpet on the east side.”
         2. “And you could have floated a canoe in the office area.”
         3. “Now the leaks have been stopped.”
      6. “And you simply must see our new Family Life Center and our new elevator.”
         1. “Our entire facility is so convenient now.”
         2. “The Family Life Center just brought our whole complex together.”
   2. Some wonderful things have happened with our facilities in the last eighteen months.
      1. I am profoundly grateful for the many things that have happened.
      2. Some truly beautiful things have happened. But the most beautiful things have little to do with the paint, the carpet, the arrangements, and the space.
      3. To me, the most beautiful things that happened have to do with people.
         1. I watched as a new sense of identity came to life in the congregation.
         2. There is a sense of togetherness that thrills me every time I see it.
         3. So many people involved themselves and shared their talents and time.
         4. So many have been and are so willing to help in any way that they can.
      4. And I want every person who has helped to know that I take none of you for granted, and I deeply appreciate everything that you do.

      C.But, if I were on that committee, my interest would not be in showing Jesus our facilities.

      1. I think it is safe to guarantee you that Jesus’ interests would not be in touring our facilities.
         1. Though he was a carpenter, we do not know one object that he built.
         2. He lived in a time of massive, impressive building projects in Israel–while he lived, things like Herod’s palace area at Massada, Herod’s palace at the Herodian, and the Jewish temple were either under construction or recently completed.
         3. In Luke 21 some people discussed the beauty of the Jewish temple under construction.
            1. Surviving information declares that it was a magnificent building project that produced an incredible building complex.
            2. It was about half complete when Jesus was executed.
            3. As beautiful and impressive as it was, Jesus said, “The day will come when one stone will not be left on another” [Luke 21:6].
            4. To the disciples, that must have sounded impossible.
      2. Jesus did not build buildings; Jesus built lives.
         1. Jesus was in the reconstruction business.
         2. He specialized in rebuilding lives.
      3. When I think of the lives that Jesus rebuilt, these are some of the people that come to my mind.
         1. Mary Magdalene, out of whom Jesus cast seven demons [Mark 16:9].
            1. She was one of Jesus’ closest friends.
            2. She was the first person Jesus appeared to after his resurrection [John 20:11-18].
         2. The sinful woman in Luke 7:36-50 who probably was a prostitute.
            1. She came uninvited into a home to wash Jesus’ feet with her tears.
            2. Jesus forgave her sins.
         3. The man who was possessed by a legion of demons in Luke 8:26-39.
            1. He was totally out of control, dangerous to himself and to others.
            2. Jesus freed him from his demon possession and told him to stay there and tell his family what God had done for him.
         4. Zaccheus, the chief tax collector in Jericho [Luke 19:1-10].
            1. He collected taxes for a profit for the Roman government.
            2. Jesus brought salvation to his house.
         5. The thief on the cross who was crucified beside Jesus [Luke 23:39-43].
            1. As a criminal dying for his crimes, he recognized and confessed Jesus to be who he was.
            2. Jesus told him that he would be in paradise with Jesus that day.
         6. Nicodemus, the well educated, prestigious member of the Jerusalem Sanhedrin [John 3].
            1. He was the religious expert who did not understand the new birth.
            2. He was still Jesus’ devoted friend when Jesus was executed.
         7. The Samaritan woman, who had been married and divorced five times and was living with a man to whom she was not married [John 4].
            1. Jesus offered her the water of life.
            2. She led the village of Sychar to believe that Jesus was the Christ.
         8. The man who was born blind in John 9.
            1. Jesus restored his sight.
            2. He also revealed himself as the Messiah to this man.
         9. Peter, the committed, confident, self-assured disciple [Matthew 23:69-75].
            1. He was certain that his loyalty and devotion to Jesus would make the ultimate sacrifice of death if necessary.
            2. On the most tragic night of Jesus’ life, Peter denied him three times.
            3. After his resurrection, Jesus asked Peter to feed his sheep [John 21:15-17]. Jesus used Peter to present him as Lord and Christ [Acts 2:14-36].
         10. Paul, the scholarly fanatic who arrested and voted for the death of Christians [Acts 8:1-4 and 9:1-25].
             1. The resurrected Jesus converted Paul in a most unusual confrontation.
             2. He also commissioned Paul to a special work as a preacher and teacher.
             3. God used Paul’s letters to comprise most of the New Testament.
         11. John Mark, the young man who began mission work with Paul and Barnabas, but quit [Acts 12:25; 13:13; 15:37,38; 2 Timothy 4:11].
             1. Disagreement about this quitter broke up the greatest mission team that ever existed.
             2. One of the last persons Paul wanted to see before his death was John Mark because “he is useful to me.”
         12. Onesimus, the slave who ran away from his Christian owner [Philemon].
2. If Jesus made “an on-site” inspection of this congregation, these are the things I would want to share with him.
   1. I would want him to see:
      1. What is happening in our benevolent programs.
      2. Different facets of what CURE does (Compassionate Utilization of Resources).
      3. Our use of the Discovery Dinner.
      4. The His Needs/Her Needs seminar and the Healthy Parent/Healthy Kids seminar.
      5. The inner city ministry and the jail ministry.
      6. The counseling work we do.
      7. The youth programs.
      8. Kids for Christ.
      9. The various mission works we are involved in.
      10. Those helped by the Quilters.
      11. The Care Groups.
      12. Our hopes for the small groups.
      13. The people we reach out to in our different forms of visitation and outreach.
      14. The various works we do with those in the 60+ group.
   2. I would want the one who rebuilds lives to see what this congregation is doing to help and encourage people.
      1. That is what he would want to see.
      2. That is what Jesus is all about; that is what Jesus’ people are about.
3. I thank God for our facilities.
   1. I wish that conditions in our culture did not make facilities necessary.
      1. But the reality is that situations and conditions do make them necessary.
      2. Their importance is not seen in their existence.
      3. Their importance is seen in their use.
   2. Our facilities are nothing more than tools for us to use to bless people.
      1. May God give us the wisdom to use them to give glory to God and Christ.
      2. May we have the faith to use them to bless and help people.
   3. If Jesus made an “on site” inspection of this congregation:
      1. I would not want to show him our tools.
      2. I would want him to see how people are being blessed because we use our tools to help people and to bring glory to God.

[Prayer: God, help us place our faith in you. We are so grateful for our tools. May members of this congregation be brought closer to you and to each other because we have them. May we use them to bring this community closer to you and your people.]

If Jesus asked you to report on your life, would you tell him about what you own or about the way you use your life? Would you talk about your possessions or your heart?

Jesus examines your life everyday. What does he see?

The Year 2000: Preparation For Life

Posted by David on under Bulletin Articles

This Sunday morning, January 2, we will begin our new adult classes. The teachers, classrooms, and age groups information is posted at the Visitors’ Center in the foyer. The first quarter we will focus on Jesus as God’s servant. The objective: build an in-depth understanding of Jesus, God’s servant. That understanding is the foundation of your faith, your commitment, your service, and the role you assume in your relationship with God.

The next three quarters will focus on us as sons and daughters of God. If we improve our understanding of our older brother, Jesus, we can understand better the meaning of service, surrender, and stewardship. We want God to mature us. We want to change.

How serious is this study? Buster Herren is conducting a resource session each week for the teachers. Your teachers come each Sunday afternoon at 4:30 p.m. to think with Buster. They are studying, praying, and preparing. They want the class to be an invaluable spiritual asset to you. They want desire to bring you to class each week.

Serious commitment is being made to this study. The elders, staff, and teachers ask you to make a serious commitment to this study. Be a student. Think, study, pray.

Christianity was never intended to be a religion. A religion is an “add on” in life. It fills a compartment marked “spiritual necessity.” In the ranking of important matters, a religion appears near the bottom of the list. It is important at weddings, hospitals, funeral homes, and cemeteries. A religion exists to address moments that we do not control. It is perfunctorily saluted as a “symbol of authority.” It is not about life’s substance.

Christianity is a life. It touches and orients every aspect of life in every detail. God designed it to be a life. Jesus served and died to make it a life-giving existence. When we reduce that life to a religion, it is our creation, not God’s.

These classes are about life. Come learn more about the abundant life.

Just the Facts on the Music Question

Posted by John on January 1, 2000 under Articles

Here are just the facts on the topic of the use of instrumental music in Old Testament and Christian worship. It will be seen that just the facts alone make a compelling case for the non-use of instrumental music in Christian worship.

The primary and derived facts are listed (hopefully) without commentary.

Fact #1 — In the Old Testament, God asked for singing + instrumental music for use in worship (2 Chronicles 29:25-26; Psalm 150). It was something they could be sure about.

Fact #2 — In the New Testament, God just asks for singing (Ephesians 5:19) or the “fruit of lips” (Hebrews 13:15). Hence, singing was something that the worshiper could absolutely be sure about.
But because there is no clear directive from God on the use of instrumental music (as contrasted with the Old Testament), it is something that one can not absolutely be sure about.

Fact #3 — After the church came into being and for at least 400 or so years, God was given just what he asked for (singing). As a result, the word “a cappella” came into being and was the term for “music in the church style.” The use of this term is the musical history of Christian worship in a nut-shell. (“A Cappella Singing,” by Dr. William M. Green, Professor of classical languages, University of California, Berkeley; Encyclopedia of Early Christianity, by E. Ferguson, p629ff)

Fact #4 — Before the New Testament was completed, the church used the Old Testament scriptures as their primary source (Acts 17:11; 18:28, etc.). They had the very scriptures before them that approved and encouraged the use of instruments right down to the naming of specific types (2 Chronicles 29:25-26; Psalm 150). And at the time of the early church, instruments were available and many Christians had the talent to play them … yet this talent was not exercised in worship! The Old Testament scripture was not followed.

Fact #5 — That instrumental music was absent from Christian worship during the days of the inspired Apostolic teaching (John 14:26; Acts 2: 42) proves that the Apostles, who were very familiar with the use of instruments in Temple worship, never encouraged churches to use them.
The above also means that the Holy Spirit never encouraged churches to use instruments (John 14:26) in spite of the fact that it once did so in a direct way (2 Chronicles 29:25ff).

Fact #6 — Ephesians 5:19 has two parts: Singing + Making Melody. The “making melody” is translated from the Greek word “psallo.” It means to “pluck or twang.” The adverbial phrase that follows tells where this action takes place. It is “in the heart” and not on a harp. This fixes the locus of the “plucking” in a figurative sense. Note the contrast with the physical, Old Testament worship (McClintock and Strong’s Encyclopedia , Vol. VIII, p739; Thayer’s Greek Lexicon on “psallo”; personal discussion with Dr. Adrian Herren).

Fact #7 — The design of the New Covenant worship will be different than that of the Old Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31; John 4:23; Hebrews 7:12; 10:1,10; 9:1). Many physical things of the Old pointed to their true substance in the New. For example, in the Old it was the priests that offered physical sacrifices to God, but in the New everyone is a priest with spiritual sacrifices to offer (1 Peter 2:5). It is specifically the “fruit of lips” that is the sacrifice of praise asked for (Hebrews 13:15) and not the sounds from man-made devices. (See Things Old and New in Religion, by Hoyt Bailey, for more examples.)

CONCLUSIONS FROM THE FACTS

Before doing a thing, it is proper to ask “Can we be sure that this is approved by God?”

1. The facts show that we cannot be sure that God approves the use of instrumental music in worship. This makes it a “questionable” and “unsure” matter.
2. However, the facts show that we can be absolutely sure that just singing has God’s approval. All can agree upon this.
3. The total context argues strongly that the non-use of the instrument is a matter of design (i.e., it was no accident that it was left out).

APPLICATION

Since God has had something to say in both Covenants about music in worship …

1. Unity, peace, and assurance are by-products when we practice just what God has asked for (singing).
2. Division, debate, and torn conscience are the by-products of introducing things into worship that are “questionable” and “uncertain” (e.g., instrumental music).

Therefore, common sense tells us that the use of instrumental music in worship is inadvisable in the least.

An Example: The Restoration Movement was a unity effort. The plea was to limit teaching and practices to just what all could agree was a God-given directive and be silent about (not teach or practice) those things that were without direct evidence. For example, individuals may have an opinion that instrumental music would be accepted by God, but for the sake of unity would limit their practice to just doing what God clearly asked for–singing. And this worked until some began to push their opinion and division resulted. Usually most churches in the southern United States going by the name “Church of Christ” are still a cappella in practice while “Christian Churches” use the instrument.

The above has not sought to pronounce any judgement upon those who use instrumental music, but instead to see if the total evidence for its use in Christian worship is positive or negative. It will be left to one’s own conscience as to what to do in the face of the evidence.

It is well to remember that when God specifies a path to follow, we should follow it with full faith in the superiority of God (Isaiah 55:8) … for it is not in man to direct his own steps (Jeremiah 10:23).

Tipi improbabili

Posted by David on December 31, 1999 under Bulletin Articles

L’incredibile Gesù poteva guardare una persona e vedere un inimmaginabile potenziale, che essa stessa non sapeva d’avere. Lui guardava un taciturno e impetuoso Pietro e vedeva una roccia capace di aprire le porte del regno eterno di Dio. Guardava M. Maddalena impossessata dal demonio e vedeva una donna capace d’incredibile amore e devozione. Guardava un assassino Saulo di Tarso e vedeva un magnifico portavoce il cui messaggio poteva riportare sulla giusta strada, la storia religiosa. Guardava una donna Samaritana adultera e vedeva una persona che avrebbe bevuto l’acqua viva e che avrebbe portato altre persone alla fontana. Gesù vedeva le cose più improbabili, nelle persone più improbabili.

In dodici uomini ha visto il (mezzo) per informare il mondo circa la crocifissione e la resurrezione del figlio di Dio. E pensate che tipi “improbabili” c’erano tra loro: un disprezzato collettore di tasse, un fanatico politico/religioso e gli altri o facevano i pescatori o i contadini, erano uomini semplici. La visione di Gesù per le persone non nasceva dunque dalle loro eccezionali doti, dai loro unici talenti o dalla loro innata saggezza. Raramente erano persone con un’eccellente educazione, esperienza o che avevano viaggiato molto. In ogni caso Gesù ha tratto la Sua potenziale visione da un solo fattore la loro capacità di confidare in Dio. Nessuna di queste persone doveva necessariamente diventare ciò che Gesù aveva visto. Erano liberi di continuare ad essere pescatori, indemoniati, adulteri, collettori di tasse, persecutori, e fanatici, invece sono stati capaci di trasformarsi in attrezzi potenti nelle mani di Dio. Rispondendo all’amore e alla grazia, accettando il perdono e volendo vivere per uno scopo eterno, sono diventati esattamente quello che Gesù aveva intravisto in loro. Probabilmente nessuno di loro aveva compreso in che modo efficace e potente Dio li stava usando.

Quando i capi della chiesa di Gerusalemme si rivolsero a Pietro per la predicazione ai gentili, quando Paolo in prigione spingeva Timoteo a continuare il suo ministero, quando gli apostoli subivano persecuzioni che rallentavano il loro lavoro e assottigliavano le loro fila, non avevano capito che Dio avrebbe usato il loro esempio ed il loro messaggio duemila anni dopo. Gesù vede il nostro potenziale esattamente e chiaramente come vedeva il loro. Questo potenziale non poggia sulle nostre incredibili qualità, talenti o saggezza, poggia sulla nostra buona volontà di credere in Dio e di vivere per qualcosa che va oltre del qui e adesso. Se tu credi nella visione di Gesù, se tu confidi nel suo potere di donarti la vita eterna, Gesù userà la tua vita in modi che vanno oltre l’immaginabile, ma il potere poggerà su Gesù non su di te.

Where Is The Joy?

Posted by David on December 26, 1999 under Sermons

There are a thousand stories and jokes that end with the punch line, “Are we having fun yet?” You probably know at least one. Each of those stories, each of those jokes have an unsaid, obvious answer: “No, we are not having fun!” The story or the joke is funny because no one could have fun in the situation. The story or joke is funny because the people got into the situation trying to have fun.

Suppose this morning each of us made a list of things that a person should experience because he or she was a Christian. What would you put on your list? Forgiveness? Salvation? Mercy? Grace? Prayer? Worship? Communion? Fellowship? Peace? Would you put anything else on your list?

How many of you would put joy or happiness on your list?

If God made that list, would He put joy on it? If God listed those experiences in their order of occurrence, where would joy appear? At the top? In the middle? On the bottom?

1. Why do people marry?
   1. “Excuse me, David. You sound like a two-year-old asking questions. Where in the world does that question come from? Don’t you know anything about sermons?”
      1. “You start out with a punch line, ‘Are we having fun yet?'”
      2. “Then you ask if us to think about the things a person experiences by being a Christian.”
      3. “And now you ask us why do people marry.”
      4. “Don’t you understand that a sermon is at least supposed to fit together?”
   2. I promise you that I will fit it all together if you will follow me for a few minutes.
   3. I ask you again, “Why do people marry?”
      1. “Some don’t.”
         1. Very, very true.
         2. In our culture, an increasing number of adults choose not to marry.
         3. The fact that a lot of adults choose not to marry makes the answer to that question even more important.
      2. “Well, the people who marry decide to marry because they are in love.”
         1. That does not tell me enough.
         2. In fact, the way our culture uses the word love, it does not tell me anything.
      3. When you say that people marry for love, what do you mean?
         1. “If they marry for love, they marry with love’s expectations.”
         2. “Love expects to be happy, to be appreciated, to be accepted, to receive kindness, to receive thoughtfulness, to be encouraged, to be forgiven, and to be understood.”
         3. “People marry for love, and love has those expectations.”
      4. If you have good friends getting married, what do you say to them?
         1. Do you say, “You are making a dangerous commitment!”
         2. Do you say, “I hope it works out, but it probably will not.”
         3. Do you ask, “Have you thought about all the things that can go wrong?”
         4. Do you say, “I know what you expect, but you need to realize it will not happen.”
         5. Do you tell them, “Love is great! Marriage is wonderful! You will be so glad that you married!”
      5. What do you tell those friends that they can experience? What should they expect?
         1. Should they understand from the beginning that marriage basically is a wonderful joy or a heavy burden?
         2. If your friends honestly examined your marriage, would they conclude that marriage is a wonderful joy or a great burden?
         3. If people carefully examined your marriage before they married, would they marry?
         4. If people honestly examined our marriages instead of listening to our words, what would they conclude about marriage?
      6. If people can examine the marriages of Christians and see more marriages without joy than marriages with joy, something is basically wrong. Healthy marriage produces joy.
2. Does Christianity naturally produce joy? Should joy be a basic reality in a Christian’s life?
   1. Instead of speculating about this, let’s listen to scripture.
      1. When Jesus entered this world as a human infant, this is heaven’s testimony:
         Luke 2:8-14 In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”
      2. The last night of Jesus’ life on earth, he tried to comfort his disciples with this statement:
         John 16:20 Truly, truly, I say to you, that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will grieve, but your grief will be turned into joy.
      3. Acts 2 tells us about the behavior of those first believers who were baptized because they understood that the resurrected Jesus was Christ and Lord.
         Acts 2:43-47 Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.
      4. Acts 5 tells us the reaction of the apostles when they were whipped because they preached about Jesus in the city of Jerusalem.
         Acts 5:41 So they went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name.
      5. Acts 8 tells how the city of Samaria reacted to hearing about Jesus Christ.
         Acts 8:8 So there was much rejoicing in that city.
      6. Acts 8 also tells us about the Ethiopian’s reaction to his conversion.
         Acts 8:38,39 And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch no longer saw him, but went on his way rejoicing.
      7. Paul began the conclusion of his letter to Christians in Rome with these words:
         Romans 15:13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
      8. When Paul wrote the Galatians, he declared the fruit of the Spirit:
         Galatians 5:22,23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
      9. Paul gave the Christians at Philippi this encouragement:
         Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!
      10. And he gave the Christians in Thessalonica this encouragement:
          1 Thessalonians 5:16 Rejoice always.
   2. How much joy exists in your everyday life because of your faith in the resurrected Jesus?
      1. Do you experience joy because you are a Christian?
      2. If you honestly describe Christian existence as you know and experience it, would you have to share the joy or discuss the burden?
      3. This is true of any Christian: if we experience no joy, no gladness, no desire to rejoice because of our faith in Christ, something is basically wrong.
      4. When people who are not Christians look at your faith, at your heart, and at your spirit, do they see the joy?
      5. When people who are not Christians look at this congregation, see our faith, see our heart, and see our spirit in our worship, in our service, and in our relationships, do they see the joy?

[Prayer: God, our faith and our lives cannot bear testimony to You, or give glory to You, or declare Your greatness without joy. Help us not to be afraid of joy. Help us as individuals and as a congregation to allow the joy to be natural. Help us let our joy be obvious in our temptations. Help us let our joy be obvious in our struggles. Help us let our joy be obvious in our blessings.]

If there is little joy in your marriage, can your marriage produce all the blessings of a healthy marriage in you, in your spouse, and in your children? No. Does the absence of joy contribute to marital failure? Yes. Can a marriage with little joy bring joy to life? It not only can; it must.

If there is little joy in your faith, can your Christianity produce all the blessings of a healthy faith in your life and the lives of the people you love? No. Does the absence of joy contribute to spiritual failure? Yes. Can a faith with little joy bring joy to life in your relationship with God? It not only can; it must.

If there is little joy in the family of God, can our Christian community produce all the blessings of a healthy congregation? No. Does the absence of joy contribute to the death of a congregation? Yes. Can a congregation with little joy bring joy to life? It not only can; it must.

Windows 1 A.D. for Windows 2000

Posted by David on December 19, 1999 under Sermons

If I asked the question, “What version of Windows do you use?” many of you immediately would understand my question–probably better than I do. The computer program referred to as “Windows” makes it easier for a person to access and use all his or her computer programming. I am certain that it was no accident that the term “windows” was chosen.

The window powerfully blesses our lives. The basic functions of a window are to allow light and air to come into a building. The basic purpose of the window is to make life easier.

The window is associated with seeing. It allows me to see outside. It allows me to see inside. It is obvious why the window was associated with seeing and understanding. As a result, we associate the word “window” with insights. Therefore we can talk about the windows of a person’s heart, or a person’s mind, or a person’s behavior. If I “provide a window” for you, I create an opportunity for you to gain insight into my life and my person. Windows provide insight. Insight provides understanding. Understanding provides guidance.

We are constantly looking for windows that provide insights into life. The Christian understands that Christianity is about life. He or she understands that the Bible provides insights into life. However, we need some “windows” into the Christians’ lives in the 1^st century A.D. if the New Testament is to yield insights into life today.

I was asked to complete the lessons I started from 1 Timothy. This evening I want us to allow 1 Timothy to provide us some “windows” into Christian life in the 1^st century A.D. in the area of Asia Minor. In turn, I want us to allow those “windows” to give us some insight into life today.

1. Paul’s work in the city of Ephesus began in the early 50’s AD.
   1. The church in Ephesus had been in existence since at least Acts 19.
      1. Paul taught in the synagogue of the Jews for three months until some became hard and disobedient (19:9).
      2. Then he taught in the school of Tyrannus for two years (19:9,10).
      3. During this time Paul performed some extraordinary miracles (19:11).
   2. The result: Christianity had a significant impact on this major city in Asia Minor.
      1. Ephesus was an important center of the magical arts practiced for spiritual purposes (we would refer to it as an important center of the occult).
         1. The sons of Sceva attempted to cast out a demon by using the names of Christ and Paul (19:13-20).
         2. As a result they suffered tragedy and many who practiced the magical arts publicly burned their books (the books were worth 50,000 pieces of silver–a fortune in that day!).
         3. That is definite evidence of the influence of Christianity.
      2. The riot sparked by the complaint of Demetrius, the silversmith, verifies the influence of Christianity in Ephesus.
         1. The great temple honoring Artemis was located in Ephesus.
         2. It was the center of a world religion and was a powerful banking institution.
         3. If Christianity had an impact on the temple of Artemis, this is a major evidence of its influence.
2. Ephesus had elders before 1 Timothy was written. (It was probably written in the early 60’s AD [See Acts 20:17]).
   1. When Paul wrote 1 Timothy to Timothy, the church in Ephesus was an established congregation.
      1. The concerns that Paul addressed in this letter gives us “windows” that allow us to see some of the realities facing the church in Asia Minor.
      2. Paul’s concerns are “peep holes” into their world.
      3. If Paul addressed a concern, that matter dealt with an existing need, problem, or situation.
   2. Chapter three discussed the kind of persons who should be elders and deacons.
      1. Ephesus needed to add more men to work as elders with their existing eldership.
      2. Paul’s comments about the kind of man who should be an elder provides us some “windows.” [See related sermon.]
         1. Window # 1: being an elder was a work, not a position, and that work should be done by a man who wanted to do it.
            1. If a man did not want to do that work, he should not be coerced to do it.
            2. Today, to me, this is the window: qualified men who want to do that work should do it; when a man wants to resign, let him.
            3. A man who does not want to do the work should not be given the work.
         2. Window # 2: a view of the kind of man who should be given the work:
            1. He had developed the positive traits of Christian character and behavior.
            2. He was not enslaved to the common activities of the people who do not care about God and Christ: he was not a drunkard or a materialist.
            3. The way he worked with his family demonstrated that he knew how to work with people.
            4. He was an experienced, respected Christian.
      3. Paul’s comments about those capable of being deacons also provides us some windows.
         1. Window # 1: they should be genuinely converted.
         2. Window # 2: the genuineness of their conversion was evident in their behavior.
         3. Window # 3: they were involved Christians prior to serving as deacons.
3. In chapter four I see two primary windows.
   1. Window # 1: tough times are coming; realize that Christianity in Asia Minor will not always enjoy the status of being a powerful influence for Christ.
      1. The events in the incident created by Sceva’s sons were good times from a Christian perspective.
      2. The fact that Demetrius could promote a riot in protest of Christian influence were good times from a Christian perspective.
      3. Because Christianity was so successful and influential during its early years, Christians easily assumed that those times would continue.
      4. Paul said that was not the case; do not be deceived.
      5. Revelation was written to the church in this area which included, by name, the church at Ephesus. The bad times came, and they were really bad.
   2. Window # 2 emphasized some of Timothy’s responsibilities, responsibilities that he must remember.
      1. Responsibility # 1: do not let Christians forget.
      2. Responsibility # 2: preserve your credibility.
      3. Responsibility # 3: use your gifts.
      4. Responsibility # 4: pay attention to yourself. (It is so easy to become so focused on other people that you do not look at yourself.)
4. In chapters five and six it is obvious that they had relationship problems.
   1. Relationship problems in the church at Ephesus were a serious problem that created serious struggles.
      1. They had difficulty learning how to relate to various groups in the Christian community.
         1. Older men (the “gray hairs”?)
         2. Younger men
         3. Older women
         4. Younger women
         5. Older widows
         6. Younger widows
         7. Elders
         8. Slaves
      2. Respect was a significant problem in learning how to treat each other.
   2. The benevolent care practiced by the Christian community created problems.
      1. Older widows who had lived their lives as godly women should be provided for by the Christian community. Who are these women?
      2. Younger widows should remarry. Why?
      3. Widows who had families should be cared for by their own families.
      4. Those who could take the burden off the Christian community should do so.
      5. Clearly, they had benevolent questions, benevolent issues, and benevolent problems.
5. Chapter six closes the letter by challenging Timothy to keep his focus.
   1. As a Christian preacher, keep your priorities straight.
      1. As a preacher, I confess that is a complicated thing to do.
      2. It becomes more complicated when others want to impose their priorities on you.
   2. Remember that the objective of godliness is not making a lot of money.
   3. Know what to run from, and know what to stand for.
   4. Understand that spiritual success is not measured by the yardstick of wealth.

To me, one of the huge picture windows that 1 Timothy provides us is this: being a Christian takes any man or woman out of the common flow of an unbelieving culture. Christianity makes the lives of believers different from the lives of unbelievers. It always has; it always will.

Can You Explain Why?

Posted by David on under Sermons

Why do we believe what we believe? Are our beliefs based on a reason? How did that reason become “the reason”?

In 1961, three months after Joyce and I married, we moved to Nashville, Tennessee, so that I could be a senior at David Lipscomb College. We rented an upstairs apartment from a kind, friendly, retired, Christian couple.

Our landlord had some specific beliefs. One of his specific beliefs was that the earth was square. He held his belief for a reason. His reason was Isaiah 11:12.

Isaiah 11:12 And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. (The King James Version, Cambridge: Cambridge, 1769.)

He said, “The Bible clearly states that the earth has four corners. If the Bible says the earth is square, the earth is square.”

In 1961 the United States and the Soviet Union were in the great space race. Rocket launches received prime time television coverage. Television reports plotted the orbit of rockets as they circled the earth, and my landlord would get upset.

He had an explanation. The United States had a huge movie studio hidden in the dessert. They filmed these so-called rocket launches in that studio, gave the film to the television stations, and, in a great conspiracy, they deceived the American people.

Did he know what he believed? Yes. Did he have a reason for his belief? Yes. Did he find his reason in the Bible? Yes. What do you think of his reason? What do you think of the way he used the Bible?

He never discussed another verse found in Isaiah.

Isaiah 40:22 It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in (The King James Version, Cambridge: Cambridge, 1769.)

1. If you are tempted to laugh at his reasoning, don’t.
   1. Many of us, if not all of us, have beliefs that use his reasoning.
      1. “David, I see it coming–you are going to ask us to think.”
      2. “Can’t you understand that I did not come to think?”
   2. “I don’t want to think, I don’t want to understand, and I don’t want to grow!”
      1. “I just want to come, hear what I heard in the past, and hear things I already agree with so that I don’t have to think.”
      2. “I already know and understand what I want to know and understand.”
      3. “What do you expect?”
      4. “I’m here, aren’t I? I come to the building at least once a week, don’t I? Just as long as I do what I am supposed to do, that is all that matters.”
      5. “All this stuff about my concepts and my understanding just does not matter.”
2. So concepts just don’t matter? So understanding is just not important?
   1. Some people in this congregation ask you a question.
      1. “Could you tell me what we will do in heaven?”
      2. “I have never understood that. Could you help me understand?”
   2. What if a teenager asks you that question?
      1. Your answer is, “Well, as I understand it, we will sing and praise God for eternity.”
      2. The teenager responds.
         1. “We are talking eternity here, right?”
         2. “I am not sure what praise is, we have not heard much of that.”
         3. “If you are talking about worshipping like we do on Sundays, about an hour is all I can take of that–I don’t think I could handle it for eternity.
         4. “So we will sit around and sing songs that the old folks enjoy for eternity?”
         5. “I think I will pass. That does not appeal to me.”
   3. What if an older Christian asks you that question?
      1. Again, your answer is, “Well, as I understand it, we are going to sing and praise God for eternity.”
      2. The older person responds.
         1. “How loud will the praising will be? I can’t stand a whole lot of noise!”
         2. “When we praise, will we get on our knees? I can’t get up and down very well anymore.”
         3. “Will I know the songs? If I don’t know the songs, I don’t enjoy the singing.”
         4. “If there will be a lot of noise, a lot of getting up and down, and songs I don’t know, I may not want to go.”
   4. What if the person who asked you was unchurched?
      1. This person has never studied the Bible.
         1. He does not know or understand Bible concepts.
         2. He came from a truly nonreligious, nonchristian background.
      2. Again, you give the same answer: “Well, as I understand it, we are going to sing and to praise God for eternity.”
         1. First, he is clueless about the meaning of “eternity.”
         2. Second, he is not sure what the word “praise” means.
         3. Third, he never tried to sing a religious song.
      3. So, you read to him about heaven in Revelation 21 and 22.
         1. He responds, “Let me get this straight: we are going to live in a walled city that has streets made out of gold with nothing to drink but water from a river that runs through the middle of the city and nothing to eat but fruit.”
         2. He immediately concludes that heaven is not an interesting place to go.
   5. Their faces tell you that your idea of life in heaven has a negative impact on them, so you make this appeal.
      1. “Wait! Wait! Wait! You must go heaven. You must want to go to heaven. ”
      2. “If you don’t, you will go to hell. And you don’t want to go to hell!”
      3. All three ask, “You mean that is our choice–heaven or hell?”
         1. “The choice is between eternal boredom or eternal suffering?”
         2. “That is not a choice! That is two kinds of pain!”
      4. Is your best argument for going to heaven escaping hell?
3. Scripture says little about life in heaven; it does talk about the experience of heaven.
   Revelation 21:3,4 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”
   1. Heaven’s environment is beyond our comprehension.
      1. There will not be any evil of any kind. Can you imagine nothing evil happening in our whole world for just twenty-four hours?
      2. Permanent peace beyond anything we have experienced will exist.
         1. I will be at peace with myself.
         2. There will not be one person I have to avoid.
      3. The acceptance and joy of love will be permanent.
      4. Grief cannot exist.
      5. No one will experience any form of need.
   2. What does that mean?
      1. There can be no conflict of any kind.
      2. Anger cannot exist.
      3. Rejection, abuse, and insecurity are impossible.
      4. No one can hurt you, but no one wants to hurt you.
      5. There will never be anything to fear, and never be a need to escape.
      6. Enemies do no exist.
      7. And there is no grief, no sorrow, no pain. I will never preach another funeral, never visit another hospital, never see another tear caused by sorrow.
      8. I will never see another person in need; there will be no needs of any kind.
4. In each December, attention is focused on the fact that God allowed His son to be born as a human infant.
   1. Why did God do that?
      1. “Bottom line” answer?
      2. God did that to make it possible for us to come live with Him.
   2. For just a moment, I want you to think about who you are and what is happening in your life.
      1. Is it true that God patiently worked for thousands of years to send Jesus? Yes.
      2. Is it true that God endured constant frustration and rejection, but He refused to give up? Yes.
      3. Is it true that He not only allowed His son to be born as a human, but He also allowed His son to have the complete human experience? Yes.
      4. Is it true that God let His son be murdered by unjust execution, and that God raised him from the dead? Yes.
      5. Is it true that God did absolutely everything necessary for you and me to be able to escape the wickedness of this world and come live with Him? Yes.
5. May I ask you something?
   1. Do you think God did all of this so that you would have the opportunity to make a mere religion out of His efforts?
      1. Do you think God did all this to create spiritual salt and pepper shakers for you to add religion to your life according to your personal taste?
      2. God did all that for you to be who you are right now living like you live?
   2. Assume with me: assume you will live the next twelve months in reasonable health.
      1. In twelve months from this week, will you be the same person that you are right now, or better, or worse?
      2. In twelve months from this week, will you live just like you live right now, or better, or worse?
   3. “Oh, in twelve months I will be a better person who lives a better life.”
      1. If you do not know any more about God in twelve months, what will make you and your life better?
      2. If you do not understand God any better in twelve months, what will make you and your life any better?
      3. If you do not develop a better relationship with God in twelve months than you have right now, what will make you and your life any better?

Prayer: God, help us stop assuming that we will be better. Help us not be content with good intentions. You paid an enormous price to make it possible for us to be your sons and daughters. Help us pay the price to be a part of your family.

I want to make a request. If you are not attending a Sunday morning Bible class, I want you to commit yourself to be part of a class by January 2. Our adult classes begin a new study that morning.

“Why do you want us to do that?”
So that you will know more about God in twelve months. So that you will understand God better in twelve months. So that you will have a better relationship with God in twelve months.

My Challenge To Myself

Posted by David on under Bulletin Articles

As another year begins, we cannot see what it will bring. Good! We would not like all that we saw. Like every year, next year will be a mixture of good and bad, wonderful and awful, joy and tears.

Is the question, “Will I experience some of the bad?” or, “How will I endure when the bad occurs?” Is it, “Will I encounter some of the awful?” or, “How will I survive the awful?” Is it, “Will I have some grief?” or, “When grief occurs, will it consume me?”

What is the probability of a close family member facing a life-threatening illness? Of a crisis occurring in your marriage? Of your child breaking your heart? Of your job ceasing to exist? Of your needing to move or change careers? Of someone that you love dying?

What is the probability if (when?) one of these happens that God can guide, strengthen, comfort, and support you powerfully? That He can work in you more powerfully than in any past year? He can! But, if He does, God does not need to change. We do … in the ways that permit Him to work powerfully within us. We must advance our knowledge and mature our concepts.

Suggestion: advance your knowledge and mature your concepts by attending a Sunday morning class in the series: “Year 2000: Spiritual Success Or Spiritual Distress?”

“What is the probability that God will work powerfully in my life?” Significantly increase that probability by doing this. (1) Increase your knowledge of God’s accomplishments in Christ. (2) Understand how you come closer to God through Christ. (3) Mature your concepts of God and Christ. (4) Strengthen your bond with those who are in Christ.

What is the probability that you faithfully will attend a class?