Year: 2020
The Danger of Close Influences
Every single one of us are influenced by others. It doesn’t matter how strong our character, our faith, our commitment, we can be led in a bad direction by those we care about. This is why it is so important to be careful of the relationships we cultivate.
Solomon, a paragon of wisdom, was influenced by his wives. “But King Solomon loved may foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh; women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites—from the nations of whom the Lord said to the children of Israel, ‘You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods.’ Solomon clung to these in love.” (1 Kings 11:1-2). In verse 4 of the text, “For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the Lord his God, as was the heart of his father David.”
There are a multitude of examples of such evil influences that can be seen throughout the Old and New Testaments. The pattern is repeated again and again in our own lives. Paul knew this truth, and warned, “Do not be deceived: ‘Evil company corrupts good habits.’ Awake to righteousness and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame” (1 Corinthians 15:33-34).
Seek out the companionship of other Christian friends, family and spouses. Avoid evil companions. Our souls may very well depend on it!
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Sermon: The Language of Zeal and Apathy
When scripture uses the term zeal, with all its synonyms, it is universally praised when it is exercised toward God. In contrast, the strongest words of condemnation are reserved for those who are apathetic in their attitude toward God.
Just and Fair
“Masters, give your bondservants what is just and fair, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven” (Colossians 4:1).
Justness and fairness, expected of a Christian who has servants. In fact, expected of each of us in the relationships we sustain with others. They are important in our interactions as equals, but especially important when we are in a position of authority, as that authority can be easily abused.
The Patternists: To Whom and to What Should We Appeal?
In his letter to the Colossians, Paul expressed the purpose of his ministry and our work as Christians, given by God. “To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily” (1:27-29). Paul taught men the doctrine of Christ, and established disciples (learners) of Him. It enabled Paul — and enables us as well — to present to the Lord mature, capable saints.
If we denigrate, alter, or substitute for the gospel of our Lord, what will we become? For those who chafe at the idea of adhering to the pattern of the New Covenant of our Lord, what do you offer? Paul addressed that question in chapters two and three in his letter to the Colossians.
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Greet One Another
“Greet one another with a holy kiss. The churches of Christ greet you” (Romans 16:16).
At the end of Paul’s letter to the Romans, he gives instructions for the Romans to greet a number of individuals, and then ends with this blanket exhortation.
The holy kiss in this case is not a ritual or specific religious action. Rather, the kiss was a standard greeting among Jews in this time. Peter wrote something similar, “Greet one another with a kiss of love” (1 Peter 5:14). Paul’s descriptor, “holy”, would have reference, as Strong defines the term, to a kiss that was physically pure, morally blameless. As Christians, we are to be affectionate to one another. We are to greet each other, and do so in ways that are physically pure, lacking any inappropriate familiarity.
Paul also stated that the “churches of Christ” greet you. In this, he was telling the Romans that Christians in other congregations wanted them to know of their concern, interest and affection. The plural “churches” indicates various congregations. The preposition “of Christ” indicates their allegiance and submission to their Lord.
Thus, each of us are to both greet, and accept greetings from our brethren in Christ. We are family, and the chaste expression of love (charity) is a function of that relationship. Do you have affection for your brethren? You must!
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Sermon: Absalom’s Treachery
Absalom was an evil, selfish and self-centered man. He murdered his brother and sought to steal the throne of his father David. His vanity and selfishness eventually destroyed him.
Sermon: Honor the Son as the Father (5:17-23)
Lesson 10 of Series (5:17-23)
The miracles of Jesus prove, that as they show the approval of God in heaven, all men should honor His Son, just as they Honor Him.
Ruminations on Citizenship
As I am writing this article, the President has been impeached, and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court is about to swear in the United States Senators as jurors in the impeachment trial. Impeachment is a political process, as designed by framers of our constitution. In this case, it is also a partisan process, as Democrat and Republican representatives and senators are dividing (or are projected to divide) almost exclusively along party lines in their votes on the matter.
This is a sad time for Americans. The partisanship and rancor that is present in our nation is disheartening. It has been this way before, many times. In fact, politically our republic is messy, and unrest may be considered a fact of life. In some ways it is as it should be in any democratic process. The conflict consists of words, and protests seldom lead to actual violence. For this we are thankful.
The Patternists: The Ark of the Covenant Plagues the Philistines
The theme of necessary obedience to please God is revisited time and again throughout both the Old and New Testaments. A summary of a time when the ark of the covenant was taken by the Philistines (related in 1 Samuel) is one such example of that theme.
Many will be familiar with the climactic scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark when the Nazis had their faces melted off because they opened the ark of the covenant. Perhaps the scene was inspired by what happened to the Philistines in 1 Samuel 5.
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The Sad Reign of Hoshea
2 Kings 17 reveals Hoshea to be the final king of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Israel had persisted in her idolatry and rebellion from the day she was established as a kingdom, as Jeroboam took the people away in rebellion against Solomon’s son Rehoboam.
Chapter 15 reveals that during the reign of Pekah, the Assyrians had come in, and raided the land, taking hostages back to Assyria. Only a short time later Shalmaneser, the king of Israel subjugated the nation, making a vassal of Hoshea, and imposing tribute money upon him (17:3). No longer was Israel a sovereign nation. When Hoshea tried to avoid paying the tribute, the conspiracy became known and the king of Assyria threw him into prison. (17:4). In the ninth year of Hoshea’s reign, with the king in prison, the Assyrians carried the people of Israel into captivity, and the nation ceased to exist.
This was the final end of generations of sin. While Hoshea’s reign was doomed to end in this way, (God’s judgment was inevitable), he was not faultless. He “did evil in the sight of the Lord” (17:2). Sin brings ruin, collectively and individually. It may be a slow descent into ruin, or a headlong rush, but the end is inevitable, as men rebel against the God of heaven. “For so it was that the children of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God… until the Lord removed Israel out of His sight, as He had said by all His servants the prophets. So Israel was carried away from their own land to Assyria, as it is to this day.” (17:7, 23-24).
May we learn from the sad example of Israel, and seek always to maintain faithfulness to the Lord. May we choose the way of righteousness rather than the way of ruin.
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Sermon: Colorful Thoughts
Our thoughts can be black (despair and defeat); Red (anger and envy); Yellow (cowardice and weakness), but they should be white (true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, praiseworthy
Sermon: Who Are Your Friends?
Speaker: Tommy Davis
This lesson discusses the importance of having righteous friends with their good influences, and the danger of evil companionship.
The New Testament Texual Witnesses
The New Testament that we have in our possession today is the product of a multitude of manuscripts. The word manuscript in general has reference to any handwritten document. However, when referring to the Bible, it references handwritten copies that are in the original Koine Greek language.
The fact that we no longer have the original manuscripts penned by the New Testament writers would seem to be a concern. However, the multitude of copies that we have in our possession serve to assuage any concerns about whether we have the actual words of Paul, Peter, John and the others who wrote by inspiration of God.
The Patternists: Support of the Preacher
In 1 Corinthians 9, the apostle Paul found it necessary to defend his right, as well as that of his preaching companion Barnabas, to receive material support in the pursuit of preaching the gospel.
This was in response to an “examination” by others, who apparently objected to his taking money and support from congregations. (It is interesting how possessive some brethren can be about money that belongs to the Lord!). His defense begins in verse 4.
“Do we have no right to eat and drink? Do we have no right to take along a believing wife, as do also the other apostles, the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas? Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working? Who ever goes to war at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Or who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk of the flock?” (9:4-7).
Throwing Out the Trash
“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, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead” (Philippians 3:7-11).
This fairly long quote needs to be given in its entirety to establish Paul’s commitment and motivation. His commitment was total. There was no accomplishment, possession or relationship he previously experienced that any longer had any value to him outside of the context of his relationship with Christ. His commitment to His Lord was without compromise. In this he serves as an example to us. “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62).
His motivation was clear. He desired to be resurrected from the dead. His desire was eternal life, and his life was lived successfully (cf. 2 Timothy 4:6-8). At the end of your life, will you also be able to say, “Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge will give to me on that Day”?
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