Author: Stan Cox
Sermon: Spirit and Truth
Justin Carrell discusses Jesus’ meaning in answering the Samaritan woman’s question regarding the proper place to worship God, recorded in John 4.
Sermon: Building on God’s Foundation (1 Corinthians 3)
A discussion of the meaning of 1 Corinthians 3:1-15, from the carnality of elevating mere men, to the types of materials (gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw) used to build God’s building.
Current Culture and the Christian
There is great interest about how Christians should react to, and interact with our present culture. A few observations will help to introduces our subject. First, faith in Jesus Christ has always, is now, and will ever run counter to the cultural views of the world. That is why the Bible speaks of God’s people in exclusionary terms. For example, “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them” (Hebrews 11:13-16). The Hebrew writer’s designation of these heroes of faith as “strangers and pilgrims” is intended to be an exhortation to Christians to have the same relationship to the world. We are not to fit in. Our views, convictions and standards should not align to the world. Continue reading “Current Culture and the Christian”
Fall Meeting 2023 (Wayne Fancher)
Below are the 9 lessons, both audio and video, that Wayne Fancher preached for the West Side congregation from November 4-9, 2023. We commend them to you.
11/4 (Saturday Night)
Continual Reorientation in An Ever Changing World
11/5 (9am Sermon, Sunday)
Little By Little
11/5 (10am Class, Sunday)
Lessons from the Parable of the Prodigal Son
11/5 (11am Sermon, Sunday)
How To Fight Sinking When We Are Hit By Sorrow Upon Sorrow
11/6 (Monday Night)
The Different Aspects of Faith
11/7 (Tuesday Night)
God Who Makes the Broken Beautiful
11/8 (Wednesday Class @ 10am)
She Has Done What She Could
11/8 (Wednesday Evening Sermon)
Spiritual Collateral Damage and Blessings
11/9 (Thursday Night)
Soldiers of Christ Arise and Put Your Armor On
Admonition to Imitation
Any surface reading of the New Testament gives plenty of evidence to refute the Calvinistic doctrine of the Perseverance of the Saints. The Calvinistic view ultimately excuses the unrepented failures in the lives of erring Christians. An example of such a refutation can be found in Paul’s writing to the Ephesians. In chapter 5 of the letter, Paul writes to Christians (the audience to which he writes) to be “imitators of God as dear children” (1). This is an admonition, an admonition with consequence as we will quickly see. Continue reading “Admonition to Imitation”
Mining the Scriptures: Romans 1:21-25
Though all men have a knowledge of God, such that no one is excused from unbelief or corruption, many in every age have not given God sufficient praise or thanksgiving. It is a peculiar but easily established truth that men forget who God is, and seek to exalt themselves against him.
Paul expresses one way this is done — by the establishment of idolatry. It is a foolish pursuit, to take the almighty, preeminent and eternal Being in the universe, and seek to minimize Him. (Remake His image to be like men or animals).
God’s response? Allow it. Such a practice, rejecting God, has a deleterious consequence. When God is out of the picture, men are left to their own devices. It is seen in the corruption of worship, showing adoration for the “creature rather than the Creator” (25). It is also demonstrated here in uncleanness, which will be demonstrated further in later verses. “Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lust of their hearts, to dishonor their own bodies” (24).
The Help of God’s Holy Word
Paul told Timothy, “But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:14-15).
This passage succinctly establishes the purpose and holiness of the Old Testament scriptures. Timothy was half Jewish (cf. 2 Timothy 1:5), and had been taught by his grandmother and mother from the Old Testament scriptures. These verses paved the way for the coming of the Christ. They prophesied His coming, described His kingdom, and established what constitutes righteousness before the Father. They were able to make Timothy “wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”
The Old and New Testaments are both God’s word, coming through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Together they make the whole of God’s revelation to man. While we are under the authority of the new covenant, we must learn and familiarize ourselves with the entirety of the Bible.
“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
Setting Things in Order
The apostle Paul directed the young evangelist Titus in his letter to him, preserved for us through God’s providence. It is apparent from the text that the church was not all it could be on the island of Crete, and so admonition and instruction was needed from Titus.
After his greeting, Paul wrote Titus, “For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set it in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you” (1:5). The rest of the epistle is a discourse on the lacking things, and the efforts Titus needed to make. By noting them, we can know what kind of congregation and individual Christians we need to be! Consider broadly the text. Continue reading “Setting Things in Order”
Mining the Scriptures: Acts 1:21-26
After the death of Judas Iscariot, in response to Psalm 109:8, it became necessary for the others to replace him as an apostle. The two men considered, Matthias and Joseph (Barsabas Justus), were faithful disciples who had witness the entire ministry of Jesus. One of them was to officially become “a witness with us of His resurrection” (22).
This was not a choosing made by the disciples. Instead they left the choosing entirely to God. First, they prayed to God. They asked God to “who which of these two You have chosen” (24).
Second, they cast their lots. Typically, the casting of lots would only choose through chance. But this time the context indicates that God was in control. This was the disciples’ way to accede all will to God Himself.
The lot fell on Matthias. He truly became one of the twelve. His name is not mentioned again, but with the others he had the responsibility of teaching and edifying the church during its infancy.
The Day of the Lord
The text of 2 Peter 3:10-13 relates the truth of Christ’s second coming. Certain truths are unequivocally revealed there for us to consider and heed. These are: Continue reading “The Day of the Lord”
Only God Can Vindicate!
The Psalmist in Psalm 26 asks for a personal examination to be vindicated. He claims to have “walked in my integrity”, “walked in Your truth.” Conversely, he has not slipped, has not “sat with idolatrous mortals”, nor gone “in with hypocrites.”
He recognized that the Lord’s “lovingkindness is before my eyes” and he was eager to “tell of all Your wondrous works” having loved “the place where Your glory dwells.” He prayed that God might, “Redeem me and be merciful to me” (Psalm 26:1-12).
In a more prosaic way, Paul also proclaimed that vindication comes only from the Lord. He wrote, “But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. For I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord” (1 Corinthians 4:3-4).
Simply put, it doesn’t matter what others think, or even what we think. We need only to know that our God will examine and vindicate us! It is a good thing that the one who will judge us wants our salvation! “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).
We need not worry about a capricious God. He loves us, and will treat us with mercy.
Sermon: Efforts at Evangelism
The efforts of the apostles and other preachers of the New Testament, revealed in the book of Acts, served two purposes. First, to save souls. Second, to equip those souls to be soul winners themselves.
Sermon: The Risen Christ, Our Hope
Stan discusses the text of 1 Corinthians 15, showing the ultimate hope of life for the child of God, based on the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Highly Esteemed Among Men
Luke 16 records an example of the typical conflict Jesus had the Pharisees. He had just taught the parable of the unjust steward to his disciples. The Pharisees heard him as well, teaching that material wealth was “unrighteous mammon”, and showing that duel loyalties do not please God.
We are told in verse 14, “Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him.” The word “derided” comes from the Greek ekmykt?riz? , signifying the nose. Thayer defines the word: “to deride by turning up the nose, to sneer at to scoff at.” The image is familiar to us today and shows that in different centuries the disdain of men is shown in similar ways. Continue reading “Highly Esteemed Among Men”
Mining the Scriptures: John 1:21-28
Our text continues a discourse between John and Jewish delegates sent, probably by the Sanhedrin. Who are you?! Apparently, John was making a name for himself among the people.
John was clear. He was not the Christ. It was not his purpose to take glory from God’s son, but to “Make straight the way of the Lord” (cf. Isaiah 40:3).
Less clear was his statement that he was not Elijah. His answer in the negative perhaps explained a superstition then present that the prophet would be revived to herald the coming of the Messiah. He was not the prophet (Deuteronomy 18:15, 18?). This passage is a reference to Jesus Himself, not a prophet who would precede Him. However, Matthew 17:10-13, Mark 9:11-13, and Luke 1:17 all make a connection of John the Baptist with Elijah. Luke saying that he would go before Jesus, “in the spirit and power of Elijah.”
Jesus was the significant and greater personage, and John’s efforts were to prepare the people of Israel to accept him.
