Category: Apathy

The Lord’s church has many enemies, some without, and more damaging, others within. The lesson details 7 “instruments” opposing the church.

• Persecution
• The World
• Mammon
• Discord
• Division
• False Doctrine
• Lukewarmness

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Guest speaker Joshua Cox establishes from scripture that as Christians we are to live lives of contentment. The pursuit and love of money is problematic in the Christian life.

One exception to note: A Christian must not be content with regard to his knowledge of God’s word. He must press on, and strive for perfection.

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There are few that will find the narrow way that leads to Life (cf. Matthew 7:13-14). There are many impediments. It is a strict and difficult way, many are prejudiced or deceived. Others are led astray by peer pressure. Some are untaught. Concerning the latter, Christians have the responsiblity to preach the gospel.

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Men show themselves to be fools when the deny God’s existence, disobey His commands, prate, meddle and show carelessness in their lives.

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We care the most when an event or circumstance impacts us directly. The Sermon points out that the grace of God and the gospel of Christ have a direct impact upon each and everyone of us. We should show our care by becoming obedient to God’s word.

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Revelation 3:1-6

The Lord’s fifth letter to the seven churches, written to the church in Sardis, identifies a local congregation that was “dead.”

Sardis was the capital city of ancient Lydia, a province of Asia Minor. The Lord noted that the congregation there had “a name that you are alive.”

It must be noted that God does not see things the way man does (cf. Isaiah 55:8). That the church in Sardis was seen to be alive (perhaps by others, perhaps by themselves), held no sway with the Lord. He reserved his strongest condemnation for this congregation, and called them to repentance.

Note that their “works” were not “perfect before God.” God judges us by the things we do, whether good or bad (cf. 2 Cor. 5:10). He demands righteous and steadfast obedience to His will. This is a serious consideration as any congregation examines her standing before God.

Apathy, the distractions of sin, lack of study, discouragement, a lack of love… All of these things can be an impediment to spiritual growth.

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AOTS Number 75

An essay by Maurice C. Hall which parallels the presumptuosness of the hitch-hiker with the attitude that some have toward service in the Lord’s church.

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AOTS Number 47

People have many different reasons (excuses) for not coming to church, but none have any real validity. We should rejoice that we can be in God’s presence!

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AOTS Number 33

How is it that two can both hear the same sermons week after week, and one is faithful and strong while the other is weak and worldly? Could it be that only one of the two is really listening?

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AOTS Number 28

God will not accept a profession of faith made by the man who is only lukewarm in his desire to serve Him.

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In his epistle to the Philippians, the apostle Paul expressed his attitude toward his service to Christ. Simply put, he wasn’t about to “count his chickens before they hatched.” In his own words, “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14).

The reason for this single-minded approach in his service to the Lord is stated in the preceding verses, “that I may gain Christ, and be found in him” (vs. 8b-9a). Further, he longed for the result of such a fellowship with his Lord, “if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection of the dead” (vs. 11).

Continue reading ““I Press Toward the Goal”” →

Two thousand years ago the Son of God was delivered up to be crucified on a cross. Not long after, some in Jerusalem expressed amazement at Peter and John as they healed a lame man at the gate of the temple. Peter took the opportunity to address the gathering, and said:

“Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? 13 The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go. 14 But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, 15 and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses” (Acts 3:12-15).

Peter later acknowledged the necessity of Christ’s sacrifice, saying, “But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled” (vs. 18). He then called on those present to “repent therefore, and be converted” (vs. 19).

Continue reading “The Rejected Savior” →

We have a responsibility to be mature, productive Christians, in benefitting and edifying our brethren But, spiritual immaturity, worldly distractions, being overcome by sin, and neglecting the Word of God all serve to weaken our spiritual resolve.

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Whether it be the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, the imperfect knowledge of Christ exhibited by Saul, The Eunuch and Cornelius prior to their exposure to the gospel of Christ, or the Lukewarmness of the Laodiceans, just being “religious” does not guarantee salvation.

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