Author: Stan Cox

Three points are made in the lesson:

• A Christian should always be honest
• A religious teacher’s honesty should be tested
• We must honestly appraise ourselves

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The sermon analyzes the the Lord’s conversation with his parents, recorded in Luke 2:41-50.

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In Romans 16:17, Paul wrote, “Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them.”

Some would take this as a mere suggestion, that can be heeded or rejected at our whim. However, we note that Paul was writing this by inspiration. As such this is the urging of the Holy Spirit, not to be taken lightly.

Others had rejected Paul’s instructions regarding disciplining the unruly. The Corinthians had ignored Paul’s admonition to withdraw themselves from a sexually immoral brother (cf. 1 Corinthians 5). In response, Paul wrote, “And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you” (vs. 2). Later in the text, he wrote, “Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?” (vs. 6).

When we reject the Holy Spirit’s admonition to discipline the disorderly, we are prideful. Such pride is sinful, and such action is willful. We are not at liberty to disregard God’s instructions on this or any other matter!

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“You, Yourself, are to be feared; and who may stand in Your presence when once You are angry? You caused judgment to be heard from heaven; The earth feared and was still, when God arose to judgment, to deliver all the oppressed of the earth. Surely the wrath of man shall praise You; with the remainder of wrath You shall gird Yourself. Make vows to the Lord your God, and pay them; let all who are around Him bring presents to Him who ought to be feared” (Psalm 76:7-11).

Fear of God is sadly lacking in our day. Men have forgotten previous judgments, and a generation has arisen that scoffs at the Almighty. They really shouldn’t do that. It is not in their best interest to anger the Divine. And yet they rage in their ignorance, and secure for themselves the eventual, eternal judgment of God.

When that day comes, no man will stand before Him. All will be brought to their knees, “For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written: ‘As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God.’ So then each of us shall give account of himself to God” (Romans 14:10-12).

If we confess Jesus today, it will bring us the salvation He offers (cf. Romans 10:10). If we wait until judgment, it will be a confession of His power and authority over us, and the justness of our condemnation. Regardless, the Almighty God of heaven “ought to be feared.”

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Invitation delivered by: Stan Cox

Galatians 6:1-5 reveals two important points:

1) We need to show love for one another by helping our brethren get to heaven.

2) Ultimately, each individual will be held accountable by God for his own actions and words.

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The text of John 15:1-8 contains Jesus statement of self-identification, “I am the true vine…” This text teaches us not only about Jesus, but about our responsibilities toward Him.

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An exegesis of Hebrews 5:11 – 6:3, with applications.

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Invitation delivered by: Stan Cox

1 Thessalonians 5:1-2 establishes that the judgment day will come at a time we can not predict. We must be prepared for judgment!

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In our society, the religious views I hold are considered by the majority to be hateful and intolerant. Words like bigot, misogynist, legalist, homophobe, Islamophobe and worse are used to describe me simply because I hold to a Christian worldview that is informed by the holy scriptures. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont senator recently stated that an individual who held such values to be true, “is really not someone who is what this country is supposed to be about.”

Continue reading “I Do NOT Preach Hate!” →

Why are people who ridicule the idea of a Bible pattern of authority to be followed so quick to advocate for the authoritative nature of a select few passages? They contend loudly and strongly for verses like:

• (John 3:16), “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
• (Matthew 7:12), “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.”
• (Philippians 4:13), “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
• (1 John 4:7-8), “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”

If the scriptures that show how to worship, how to practice religion, how to make disciples, how to organize, what to teach and how to work together as a church can not be considered authoritative, then why are the scriptures above accepted as true and binding?

Integrity demands a more consistent hermeneutic than that, wouldn’t you say?

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“O Lord, how great are Your works! Your thoughts are very deep. A senseless man does not know, nor does a fool understand this” (Psalm 92:5-6).

You will notice that the Psalmist refers to those who question God as being foolish and senseless. The words may seem harsh, but similar, harsher things are said by the other side.

For example, one atheist I came across on the internet wrote the following:

“The fantasies and delusions are equally foolish whether it’s the belief and obedience to a psychotic voice in the head or an imaginary deity residing in some magical place no one can see. Religious beliefs should be placed in the same class as mental sickness or any other serious psychological disorder that degrades the quality of life and the individual’s ability to deal with reality.”

The warfare between right and wrong, good and evil, sin and righteousness, has always been and always will be. Two things come to mind as we consider this truth.

One, trust in your faith. It is rational, founded in the reality of Christ Jesus as our Savior. He did live, did die on the cross, and His resurrection was witnessed by many (cf. 1 Corinthians 15).

Two, never think for a second that the world (or the worldly) is your friend. The world is under the sway of the wicked one, who seeks to devour the child of God (cf. 1 Peter 5:8). This is why Paul wrote, “…do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2).

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The Lord’s church is very different from the religious denominations you typically see in America. This sermon discusses some of the things that makes the church of Christ unique.

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The text of James 1:21-25 supplies thoughts regarding the 1) Importance of knowing how we look to God; 2) Importance of improving our spiritual appearance; and 3) God’s word is the only reliable mirror to determine how we appear to God.

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Invitation delivered by: Stan Cox

This short lesson uses the text of 1 Peter 1:3-6 to note that our living hope is cause for rejoicing despite the suffering we may experience in this life.

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