Category: Obedience
Subject: Obedience
Are You Serious About Serving God?
(This article originally appeared as a paid ad in (April 2012) in the newspapers published by Suburban Newspapers, Inc. The papers cover five small communities in the Forth Worth area).
In Ecclesiastes 12:13, a very wise man wrote “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all.” Such a simple truth, but one that is unfortunately seldom heeded.
Why do you go to church? It seems like for a lot of people, worship is entertainment; and a church’s purpose is to facilitate self-actualization. And that seems to be a bit backwards.
Worship should be (and if it is true worship, it is) an offering to God. The purpose of worship is to please God, not to please ourselves. In order for it to please Him, our worship must be in accord with His will. “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24).
The purpose of the church is to do the Lord’s work in the world. It is a religious institution, dedicated to spiritual work. Members share the gospel with the lost, build one another up through worship and fellowship, and engage in benevolent activities. While entertainment and socializing seem to be the central priority of the church experience in our day and time, that is not what God intended for His people. Paul said that the church of the living God is “the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15).
Our view is not a typical way of looking at worship and service to God. Are you serious about your service to Him? Come visit the West Side church of Christ!
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Invitation: God’s Way is Best
Invitation delivered by: Armando Vera
Men constantly believe that their way of looking at things is best. Often it is foolish and destructive. In contrast, if we accept the wisdom of God, we will always be blessed.
Invitation: Striving for Perfection
Invitation delivered by: Joshua Cox
It is true that no one is perfect. We all sin (cf. Romans 3:23). But, the fact that we aren’t perfect does not give us the right to not strive for perfection. Passages such as 1 John 3:6 show us as Christians that we must strive for perfection.
Sermon: Five Great Bible Questions
The sermon, based on a sermon chart by Steve Hudgins, seeks to answer the following questions that appear in the Bible: 1) “Where Art Thou”; 2) “To Whom Shall We Go?”; 3) “Lord What Will You Have Me to Do?”; 4) “What Must I Do to be Saved”; and 5) “What Doth Hinder Me?”
Note: In addition to the audio link, there is a link to a zip file which extracts to a self-contained Prezi presentation. Also, there is a link to a handout that was included in the sermon as a hardcopy reminder of the material.
In the News: Last Second Shot!
Friday night the Castleberry girl’s basketball team won a game with the most exciting finish you can imagine. They were playing Mineral Wells, and were shorthanded. One of their players had blown an ACL ligament the previous week, and was out for the season. Their best player had a virus, and though she was playing, was struggling physically. None of their shots were falling, and they were down 12 points to start the fourth quarter.
The deficit continued until about halfway through the quarter, and then all of a sudden the shots started falling. The girls knew they had to win to keep their hopes of going to the playoffs alive. They dug down deep, and narrowed the deficit to one point. With 2.6 seconds left, Castleberry had the ball out of bounds. Josh (my son is the coach) drew up a play, and their best player banked home the shot for the win. The stands erupted, the girls (and Josh) went crazy, and everyone cheered.
Invitation: Do or Do Not, There is No Try
Invitation delivered by: Joshua Jackson
In our lives as Christians, we either do, or we do not. Too often Christians say that they “tried” to obey, or “tried” to avoid sin. Consider passages such as Matthew 25:34-46, either we will have done God’s will, or not. Our eternal destiny is at stake. Yoda had it right!
Sermon: Stewardship
Three principles are examined in this lesson on Stewardship: 1) All things belong to God; 2) We are to be stewards in what we have and who we are; and, 3) We will be held accountable for our stewardship.
Sermon: Correcting False Views of Faith and Obedience
Paul’s epistle to the Romans is a much misunderstood book, especially as it relates to the apostle’s teaching on the subject of Justification by Faith. This sermon serves as an explanation of the first three chapters of the book as they relate to the topic.
Invitation: Sincerity is not Enough
Invitation delivered by: Jeremiah Cox
Jeremiah uses the example of Paul, who was sincere even when persecuting Christians, to establish the truth that sincerity is serving God is insufficient. We must also be living in accord with His will.
Invitation: Why Do We Have the Invitation?
Invitation delivered by: Justin Carrell
Justin discusses why the tradition of offering an invitation at the end of our Wednesday Bible Study is a beneficial one.
Sermon: Doors
The metaphor of a door is used often in scripture. It references opportunity, the need for action, the desire of the Lord, and the way to salvation. The sermon discusses four of these points.
Invitation: A Doer of the Word
Invitation delivered by: Jeremiah Cox
Jeremiah appeals to Matthew 7:21-ff and James 1:21-25 to establish the necessity of doing the will of God. This is contrasted with religious people who claim to serve God, but only practice the aspects of God’s will that suit them.
Audio: Click Here .
From the Preacher’s Pen: Consider Your Ways!
Consider the following admonition given at the beginning of the book of Haggai.
“Then the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet, saying, “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins? Now therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Consider your ways!’” (Haggai 1:3-5)
The application of this admonition should not be found exclusively with regard to the rebuilding of God’s temple, or the obvious present day application of caring for the building and grounds where we assemble. (Although that certainly would apply).
The question is, where do your interests and attention lie. Are you living selfishly, concerned primarily with your own comfort and concerns? Or, are you (first of all) concerned about the things of God?
Look around! The brethren at West Side have obligations. Toward God, toward one another, toward the lost. There are sick people, physical needs, preaching to be done — and, yes, work to be done on the building and grounds where we assemble.
Each of us need to “Consider” our ways, to make sure God is being put first!
Sermon: Partakers of Christ
To be a partaker of Christ (from the text of Hebrews 3:14) speaks both to the blessings of the relationship as well as the obligation of steadfastness that is seen in the context. The sermon examines the Privileges and Responsibilities of such a fellowship.
Sermon Audio: Click Here .
