We ought all to have the Christian virtue of longsuffering because it 1) helps us know God, 2) keeps us faithful, 3) keeps us vigilant, 4) keeps up working, and 5) helps us finish. Each should be able to understand how being longsuffering will help us to heaven. That each would understand and desire the great benefits of longsuffering.
When we murmur, we create the false impression that we are doing something about the problem, but it does nothing to help. Murmuring is complaining with no intention of getting personally involved in the remediation; it is passive aggressive. What does that mean? It does not deal with things directly, but slinks around behind other peoples’ backs to create circumstances where someone else will do (for the murmurer) that for which he is murmuring. This is manipulative and sinful! In 1 Corinthians 10:10, the apostle Paul wrote, “Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.”
Murmuring is something that God forbids us to do, but we often do it anyway. Why? It’s a way to gratify the flesh. When we murmur, we create the false impression that we are doing something about the problem, but it does nothing to help. Murmuring is complaining with no intention of getting personally involved in the remediation; it is passive aggressive.
What does it take to enter the kingdom of heaven? 1) Faith Only is not Enough, 2) A Semblance of Sanctimony is not Enough, 3) Doing the Will of the Father is Key. Each person should understand that it takes both faith and action to enter the kingdom of heaven. This sermon seeks to show by Jesus’ teaching that salvation by faith only is a false doctrine.
It’s a sin to lie. The Bible doesn’t whitewash it. Colossians 3:9 says, “Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds.” The Bible does not permit lying, whether the occasional lie of convenience, or the so-called “white” lie. God does not want us avoiding dealing with the truth. Ephesians 4:25 says, “Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor: for we are members one of another.”
As we study Psalm 23, let us consider the great blessings God provides to His flock: Care, Comfort, Communion, and Confidence. For each Christian to associate Psalm 23 with the providence of God and to remember that God provides.
We have used the word “cuss” as a euphemism for “curse,” since “curse” carries such a negative connotation with it. I doubt anyone really thinks of themselves as uttering curses, though, whether we use the word “cuss” or “curse” it is really the same thing: one is cursing an object, person, or action with one’s language. Such cursing is sinful.
irst John 3:6 and 9 are two verses where I have a disagreement with how the translators have translated the Bible from Greek to English. Other translations do not create a contradiction in the same text. The English Standard Version has this translation of 1 John 3:6, “No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him.” It also translates 1 John 3:9 as follows: “No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God.” This translation is much clearer, and it reflects the original Greek text better.
Pursuing excellence is joyful when we 1) Have a Clear Standard, 2) Learn from the Past, 3) Acknowledge the Challenge, 4) Commit to the Pursuit. Each hearer will explain how we have joy by pursuing Jesus Christ.
God also foresaw that Christians would need a regular time to meet with other Christians. So, he had Jesus establish the Lord’s Supper to be observed every first day of the week. Acts 20:7 tells us that the church met on this day for this very purpose. In Hebrews 10:24-25, the Holy Spirit said, “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”
When we find ourselves not doing anything, it is easy for the mind to wander back to darker times. Staying busy doing the Lord’s work keeps our mind focused on the present. The Christian has plenty of work to do. The only question is whether he will get busy doing it, but what if he does not feel like doing it? Do it anyway. We should not subject our work for the Lord to our negative feelings. Rather, our feelings should be subject to the work we do.
What got him beyond the mental paralysis of past failure? It was God’s grace in his Savior, Jesus Christ. He said: “But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him…” (Philippians 3:7-10). In 1 Corinthians 15:10 Paul wrote, “But by the grace of God I am what I am.”
For many, the problem is that we do not want to let go. We want to control and “fix” things. This attitude is deceptive. It does not eliminate the past but reinforces our failures by getting us to dwell on them. If we think we can “fix” or “control” things, we will not let the past go, and it will continue to haunt us. We do not need to be a “fixer” or have “control.” If we want peace, we will give it to God and let it go from our thoughts entirely.
From Hebrews 13:5-6 we learn that Christ’s presence brings some wonderful blessings: 1) Contentment, 2) Help, and 3) Fearlessness. I hope that each listener will understand that Christ’s presence brings great blessings.
Negative thoughts can be a big struggle as we try to forgive ourselves. Recurring negative thoughts may be symptoms of unresolved issues. In the previous article we noted that identifying when these negative thoughts begin can help us stop them, but it can also help us determine what is triggering them to get at the root cause. We can address these causes with God’s word.
Freedom in Christ brings joy when we 1) beware of false identities of the flesh, 2) count all things loss for Christ, 3) identify wholly with Christ. Each listener will be able to understand and explain how joy in Christ comes from freedom from fleshly identities and attitudes. I hope to show from Paul’s life and history that release from fleshly captivities brings joy
Our struggle with self forgiveness may include old and painful memories. Sometimes these memories plague us in an endless loop of negative thoughts and pictures. We need to address our memories in a constructive way. When old memories continue to bother us, that indicates a lack of resolution. Are we trying to the same problem in the future? Do we feel like we were treated unjustly? Are we using those memories to justify present behavior? Are we are hung up in unbelief that something so terrible happened to us, a denial of reality?
Christian unity is based upon the teaching of Christ. We are united as Christians and without the teaching of Christ we are not Christians. This teaching is summarized in the list of seven “ones” in Ephesians 4:4-6. Each person should understand that for us to have unity as Christians we must adhere to the same standards of the teaching of Christ.
In this lesson we want to look at the Baptism of Christ. We will note that the Baptism of Christ is: 1) A burial in water. 2) An action of faith. 3) God’s work of righteousness. Everyone needs to be able to discuss what the baptism of Christ is in relationship to the plan of salvation. Not many in the religious world today understand it. But it is part of the great commission and we must preach and teach it. To encourage the brethren to teach others about the Baptism of Christ.
Just because one has sinned does not mean that that is what one is. Christ does not casually destroy His new creation! If the Christian sins, Christ has made a way for him to be forgiven to maintain his novel status (1 John 1:7). Sin does not have dominion over the child of God (Romans 6:14). The Christian may come back to the deep wells of forgiveness as much as he needs to overcome the sin that is in his life (Matthew 18:22).